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Ncube

Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
THE last time they were in the capital, little How Mine made history when they became the first team to beat Dynamos in the Mbada Diamonds Cup, famously handing the Glamour Boys their first defeat in 10 matches in the country’s flagship knock-out football tournament.

The next time they return to the capital, this coming weekend, How Mine could also make history by becoming the first Premiership newboys to book their place in the final of the Mbada Diamonds Cup if they can clear the hurdle to be erected by CAPS United.

No team had beaten DeMbare, in the Mbada Diamonds Cup, in a period stretching over two years and involving nine matches until the country’s biggest and most successful football club met Chikurupati and sank into the How Mine shift.

No team — playing in their first season in the Premiership — has made it all the way to the final of the Mbada Diamonds Cup and How Mine will be out to change all that when they invade the capital one more time hoping to destroy the dreams of yet another giant in the city.

FC Platinum reached the semi-finals of the Mbada Diamonds Cup, in their first season in the Premiership in 2011, but the Zvishavane miners crashed into a wall erected by the Glamour Boys at Barbourfields and were eliminated after failing to respond to a solitary goal scored by Zimbabwe international striker Cuthbert Malajila.

None of the promoted teams made it to the last four of the Mbada Diamonds Cup last year which featured FC Platinum, Monomotapa, Dynamos and CAPS United.

But How Mine have done it this season, after producing the shock result of the tournament when they edged DeMbare 1-0 in their Rufaro fortress in the quarter-finals, to proudly march into the semi-finals where they now meet a CAPS United side desperate for silverware to give their long-suffering fans something to cheer their spirits.

The Green Machine used to be specialists in knockout tournaments, when they rightly earned the nickname Cup Kings, during a golden period in the ’80s which started when they won the Castle Cup, then the country’s biggest knockout tournament, four years in a row.

But, by their high standards, CAPS United have fallen on hard times in recent years and the Cup tournaments have not provided the comfort they used to give and when they reached the semi-final of the Mbada Diamonds Cup last year, they were reminded of how much they had fallen behind, in a 0-3 mauling by rivals Dynamos at Barbourfields.

The Green Machine fans, though, feel this is a different year and their team has already surpassed expectations by breaching the 40-point mark in the championship race, where they remain with an outside chance of winning the title in the event the leading teams suffer a monumental collapse, and the Mbada Diamonds Cup is there for the taking.

How Mine coach Philani “Beefy” Ncube yesterday said they were happy to be the underdogs despite a fantastic run which started with a 1-0 win over Black Rhinos in the first round.

“It’s great thing that we are in the semi-finals of this tournament. As a team I think we have achieved more than we had hoped for in our debut season and now we just look forward to finishing on a good note,” said Ncube.

The gold miners have demonstrated giant-killing instincts this season after flooring two of the country’s biggest teams Dynamos and Highlanders in League and Cup assignments.

They boast of four wins against the two giants, beating Bosso home and away in league matches, beating DeMbare in a league match in Bulawayo and then in the Mbada Diamonds Cup tie at Rufaro in September.
Very few teams have come into the Premiership and, in their first season, managed to embarrass the two giants in such a way.

Adding CAPS United onto that impressive list of victims will just be the icing on the cake.
Despite their inconsistency, How Mine still find themselves in the top eight on the log standings with three games remaining in the season.

Interestingly, they have found the going tough against CAPS United who beat them home and away in their two clashes this season.
The first meeting between the sides ended in a 2-1 victory for the Green Machine at White City early in the year and the Harare giants were on top again when they won 1-0 at the National Sports Stadium recently.

Ncube, however, believes his charges will be able to turn the tables as he feels How Mine have the quality in their ranks capable of achieving great things like winning the Mbada Diamonds Cup.

Despite being a new side on the big stage, How Mine boast of experienced players like Menard Mupera, who was outstanding against DeMbare and has a knack of turning on the style against the big boys, Hebert Dick, Gilbert Banda, Nyasha Mukumbi, Khumbulani Banda and former Warriors goalkeeper Ephraim Mazarura among their key players.

Ncube employed a revolutionary three-man central midfield of Dick, who like wine keeps getting better with age and has been impressive this season, Mukumbi and Banda against Dynamos and the veterans created a wall that proved impregnable for the Glamour Boys.

Mukumbi is set to face the team that told him that he was no longer good enough for them and although he won’t say it publicly, he will love seeing them fall on Sunday.

“I know some people have already written us off in this tournament because we are a small team, which is fine with us because it takes away the pressure.

“We just want to go out there and play our game and then see what happens after 90 minutes,” said Ncube.
“We respect CAPS United because they are a big team but they should know that we are not coming to Harare to add numbers or to donate a game.

“Of course, we played them and lost in the league games but it’s now time to turn things around. We definitely need a change of fortunes.”
How Mine are coming from a morale boosting 1-0 win over Hwange which effectively secured them a place in the Premiership for next season.

CAPS United also won 1-0 at the weekend away at Buffaloes to revive their slim hopes in the championship race.
That victory will definitely spur on the Green Machine as they feature in the semi-finals of the Mbada Diamonds Cup for the second time in as many years.

Makepekepe reached the last four last season but were eliminated by rivals Dynamos who went on to win the title.
But the Green Machine can only hope for a better finish after surviving the opening rounds against Motor Action and Chicken Inn.