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Paul Chimalizeni

Takudzwa Chitsiga Sports Reporter
MUSHOWANI Stars coach Paul “Popopo” Chimalizeni says the time has come for his team to stop their losing sequence against Ngezi Platinum when the two sides meet in the Yadah TV Knock-out Cup final at Gwanzura on Saturday.

Chimalizeni’s men were beaten home and away by Ngezi Platinum in their league contests and had they won those matches, Mushowani Stars might have powered their way into the Premiership, given the strong way they finished their campaign.

Mushowani will be slight favourites, coming into the final, after hitting a rich vein of form towards the end of the season and impressing in their 3-1 win over Gunners in the semi-finals of the knock-out tournament.

“We are in the right frame of mind as the team has been enjoying good form when the league season ended and so we will take it from there,” said Chimalizeni, whose team is expected to be backed by hundreds of their supporters, who will travel from Madziwa.

“We are on a revenge mission as Ngezi beat us back-to-back in the league. We cannot afford to continue losing to the same side.

“We are going to give them a good run, they should come prepared and they will witness a different Mushowani Stars altogether in terms of performance.

“They have a good side full of experience, but this time we are not going to hand them the game on a silver platter.”

Fans will pay US$1 for tickets to watch the Cup Final, an historic event for Division One football.

Chimalizeni said they needed reward, for a good season in which they came close to winning the league title, and taking the Cup to Mashonaland Central would be just what the doctor ordered.

“We have come a long way to be where we are today, so our focus now is to finish off the good work we started,” said Chimalizeni.

“We are working on the players, psychologically, so that they go into the game a well-prepared side.

“The team is still intact and the guys are willing to win their first silverware in the league.”

Meanwhile, the World Navi Northern Region Division One league Soccer Stars of the Year will be honoured at a ceremony in Harare tomorrow night.

Eleven players, who did well during the season, were selected by a 32-member panel, which included football writers, coaches and team captains.

The winner of the Soccer Star of the Year award will be known tomorrow night. He will be handed an opportunity to try his luck in the Japanese league the J-League and will also win a car as part of the sponsorship deal between the league and Japanese car exporter, World Navi.