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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter

DONALD Teguru might have been restricted from making his usual runs on the flanks in Sunday’s FC Platinum Chibuku Super Cup victory but the 26-year-old completed a remarkable tale.

The Zvishavane side beat rivals Ngezi Platinum Stars 5-3 after a nervy penalty shoot-out following a goalless draw in 120 minutes.

It was always going to be tense given the teams had faced each other twice in the group stages of the same competition.

The match had to produce new heroes but both sets of players were not very courageous in a game everyone wanted to minimise mistakes.

Man-of-the-match Brian Banda, who won the trophy for the second consecutive time having won it in 2019 with Highlanders, never set his foot wrong.

He controlled the midfield, causing all sorts of problems for his opposite number Devon Chafa who had to be substituted in the second half. But the day belonged to Teguru who was playing in the final pitting the same teams for the second time in five years.

But this time around, he was at the opposite end, turning out for the victors FC Platinum.

Just like when his former club Ngezi Platinum celebrated at the end of a dramatic 3-0 win in the final of the same competition in 2016 at Baobab, he was also celebrating at the sound of the last penalty kick put away by teammate Gift Mbweti on Sunday.

Teguru was an instrumental figure when Ngezi won the trophy five years ago so was he in Sunday’s tie.

“It feels great to have won the trophy at either end of these platinum teams. I am probably the happiest man right now,” said Teguru after Sunday’s match.

“In 2016, I won the trophy while still turning out for Ngezi Platinum Stars and we beat FC Platinum in the final.

“I am now with the latter and to come out victorious in a final we have played Ngezi Platinum Stars is something incredible. I am very happy and excited. This means we will be playing in the CAF Confederation Cup and that’s incredible.

“I would like to give credit to my teammates who did everything in today’s (Sunday) match. We won as a team and I salute everyone at the club.” Teguru played seven matches in this tournament, providing six assists and scoring thrice. What even made the victory sweeter for the former Buildcon forward is the fact that he lost in the final against Highlanders in 2019 when he was still with Ngezi Platinum.

The Mhondoro team controversially lost the 2019 final at Barboufields and Teguru was one of those who even shed tears at the end of that fixture.

“Losing that final was very depressing. I was pained but that’s football at times. I am very happy we have won it this time around. That final against Highlanders was as tense as today’s game and to have won this one means a lot for me as a player. I have managed to settle in well at FC Platinum and I would like to thank the technical team for investing their faith in me.”

It’s not only Teguru who was smiling for laying his hands on this trophy for the second time though.

Goalkeeper Petros Mhari and Gift Bello were there when FC Platinum won the cup in 2014. Donald Dzvinyai and Ralph Kaondera also won the trophy with Triangle in 2018.