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Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
Monomotapa……………………….. 0
How Mine………………………..(0) 1
MONOMOTAPA assistant coach Conrad Nyambabvu yesterday mourned the relegation of his side from the Premier Soccer League when they lost to How Mine at Gwanzura but said the former champions deserved the boot following a turbulent season.

A solitary strike from Thembani Masuku a few seconds after the restart compounded the Harare side’s woes as Monoz were punished for their lethargic approach.

Nyambabvu said Monoz, who have been reeling under huge financial challenges this season, had already given up and the team had not been training because of lack of resources.
They joined Motor Action and Tripple B who have already been relegated.

Nyambabvu painted a grim picture of the club’s future, as they head to Division One, giving a strong indication that this could be the end of the empire as the club’s leadership appear to have long given up on the team.

“Of late we have been playing well but nothing has been coming out of it. Today we tried our best but I think we got what we deserved. There was no zeal and no urgency on our side. The desire to win was just not there. This is because the team has not been training of late and we just had to regroup and fulfil the fixture.

“It’s all of our own making. Football involves many people from the management to the players. The technical and the players we did our best but there was no financial support from above.

“Imagine that these guys have gone for six months without pay and we are just playing without getting any cent. So we basically deserved to be relegated. We don’t have the right to remain in the Premier Soccer League while operating under such circumstances.

“We are going to try and come up with a team just to fulfil the remaining two games and not to compete because these guys don’t have the energy to continue playing. They have families to look after yet they are not getting anything,” said Nyambabvu.

The 2008 champions, who appeared to have already given up all hope by their body language, crumbled in the face of the inevitable as they needed miracles in their last three games to avoid the chop.

In fact, their eight-year flirtation with the top-flight had already been extinguished in their last match against fellow relegation fighters Black Mambas who thrashed them 3-1.

This left them in need of a glut of goals and at the same time hoping that fellow candidates for the chop Mambas, and Buffaloes lose all their remaining games.

Monoz did not give a fight in a game of few chances as their opponents How Mine were also a pale shadow of the team that beat giants CAPS United at the weekend to reach the final of the Mbada Diamonds Cup.

Menard Mupera’s dipping shot in the 41st minute, which was parried over the bar by goalkeeper Fidias Chifamba, was probably the only highlight of the first half.

Then Masuku got the goal that separated the teams in the 46th minute when he pounced on a loose ball inside the penalty box after Timothy January had managed to control a high ball from Brighton Dube. How Mine jumped two places to seventh on the log standings with 41 points while Monoz remained on 26 points from 28 starts.

“We didn’t play well but what is important is that we collected three points away from home,” said How Mine coach Philani “Beefy”  Ncube.

Teams
Monomotapa:  F. Chifamba, G. Murwira, H. Mugoniwa, J. Tigere, L. Sithole, H. Masumbuko (N. Tigere, 61st minute), C. Rukwanhi, M. Mungombe (A. Murimba, 66th minute), R. Chitiyo, A. Tavarwisa, K. Musharu (Z. Bizeki, 46th minute)
How Mine: E. Mazarura, B. Dube, K. Banda, N. Mukumbi, G. Banda, M. Mupera, E. Ngulungo, T. Masuku, W. Dube, T. January (X. Moyo, 64th minute), S. Dube (N. Mpala, 57th minute)