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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
LAKE HARVEST return to Nyamhunga this afternoon when they take on Mushowani in the Yadah TV Knockout Cup tournament quarter-final match hoping for better fortunes.
They qualified for the tournament in the first half of the season but they have not been doing so well in the second half.

And they will be hoping to win the cup game to restore confidence in the team.

Lake Harvest coach Pearson Matare said they were excited to be returning to Nyamhunga for the first time since the ground was closed for renovations last year.

“It’s good for us, home is the best. We are expecting more fans because we are returning to them.

“We might struggle because the ground has a thick turf.

“Our preparations for the game are okay. It’s only that we have lost a number of games, so far we have lost six out of the seven matches.

“It’s not going to be easy to boost morale among the boys to play well.

“If you try hard, and lose at the end, you may see as if you are not capable but we are ready to play.

“They are a team playing in the league, there is nothing special about them, it’s only that they have been winning and we have been losing. But we may start winning against them because no one goes into a competition expecting to lose.

“When you play at home, it’s obvious you have the 12th man. I think it will boost the boys’ morale. It will be an extra push for the boys,” said Matare.

While Matare has to restore some confidence in his team, because of the poor results over the past weeks, Mushowani’s coach, Paul “Popopo”

Chimalizeni, has faith in his troops.

However, he warned them against complacency after it nearly backfired when they played Royal Classic last week in a league game.

“What we need to bear in mind is we need not to underestimate them. Lake Harvest has been losing matches so my anticipation is they would want to win to prove their critics wrong, they want to prove a point and get confidence for their next game.

“We are going there to play like we are playing any other team. I have been psyching up the team the whole week and will continue up to the game.

“They mustn’t have an attitude of underrating other teams,” said Chimalizeni.

Chimalizeni said they stand a good chance of winning tomorrow’s game.

“Coming from a win in the league to a cup game, the squad is in full force so it’s good for us as a team because they are putting 100 percent effort.

“Our chances are high, our advantage is that I have been to Kariba with ZPC as a coach, so it’s an environment I know.

“It’s not like we are going into an unknown territory,” said Chimalizeni.

However, Mushowani should not expect an easy encounter at Nyamhunga against their opponents who will be out to prove that they are not just there to make up the numbers.

Tomorrow, Flame Lilly take on Black Mambas on the neutral fields of Chinhoyi in another quarter-final tie.

The people of Chinhoyi have a chance to watch a competitive Division One tie in their backyard.