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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
BLACK Rhinos Queens striker Rutendo Makore says the continuous conditioning the army side’s players were receiving since March last year helped them reach the final of the CAF Women’s Champions League/Cosafa football qualifiers.

Rhinos Queens were on Saturday beaten 0-3 in the final by South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in the final of the 10-day tournament in Durban, South Africa.

It was the first game the Zimbabweans conceded a goal at the fiesta which had seven teams from the Cosafa region.

And Makore, who picked the player of the match in all the games Rhinos Queens played from the group stages duly walked away with the player of the tournament award.

The Kuda Matuwi-coached team punched well above their weight they were the only club at the inaugural tournament who had gone for close to two years without playing competitive football.

And Makore believes it is the conditioning the team was getting from the coaches including fitness trainer Brighton Chandisaita which drove them.

“Firstly, I am delighted for winning the player of the tournament accolade and I would like to thank the Lord for that. I would also like to thank my teammates,” said Makore.

“As Black Rhinos Queens, we were playing as a team, we were also like family, united both in and outside the field of play. We had gone for two years without playing competitive football but the conditioning we were getting from our technical department was just up there.

“Each and every one from the team contributed to this award and I would like to thank them all. I won the player-of-the-match accolades in all our games and I owe them to the team.

“As footballers we never rest. We have been home for the past two years and we have not been relaxing. We have been religiously following the programmes as given by the coaches. That made sure we didn’t lose focus or concentration. By the time it was confirmed that we will be participating in this tournament, we were in already in good shape.

“This was our first time and I am glad it was a good learning curve. We will certainly do well next time.”

Besides Makore, goalkeeper Precious Mudyiwa, the only goalie Rhinos Queens had at the tournament after the others returned positive Covid-19 results also walked away with the Golkeeper of the Tournament award.

“We got a good competition, we picked several lessons from this tournament. I didn’t fear anything even if I knew I was the only goalkeeper in the team.

“The most amazing thing about me is that I started playing as an outfield player. I only started playing as a goalkeeper at Cosa Guruve after the team suffered a crisis on that department,” she said.

“That is when my story changed. I am very happy to win the prestigious award. The tournament was an eye-opener and we learnt a lot lessons.

Black Rhinos Queens captain Talent Mandaza hailed her team for the spirit.

“At the tournament, I think everyone was looking down upon us but we surprised them and I am glad we managed to reach the final.
“Of course, we failed to win and secure the ticket to the CAF Women’s Champions League finals but we are happy with our performance,” said Mandaza.

“Actually, we know that the result of the final against Mamelodi Sundowns wasn’t a true reflection of what actually transpired. We played well, we were gallant and we deserved better but then we made some blunders which resulted in us being punished.

“It was about teamwork, we are soldiers and we managed to push each other to work as a team.
“Had it not been for the long lay-off we endured during lockdown, we would have performed better than we did.”
The army team returned home on Sunday evening.