Black Mamba 3-1 Monomotapa Shabanie Mine 3-2 Tripple B
ALBERT MARUFU/ MUKUDZEI CHINGWERE
BLACK Mambas eased their relegation worries after seeing off the challenge of a battling Monomotapa in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Morris Deport yesterday.
Winger Nicholas Alifandika (34th minute) Innocent Nyoni (41st minute and Last Chibwiro (91st minutes) were on target while Godknows Murwira pulled one back for Monomotapa.
Yesterday’s win saw Mambas taking their points tally to 35 moving one place up the ladder to position 11 with three games to go.
The loss, however, means that Monomotapa, the 2008 champions, remain static on position 14, four points behind 13th-placed Black Rhinos, at home to Harare City in Kadoma today.
One could feel sorry for Monomotapa players who have not received a salary or winning bonuses since the inception of the season and use their own means of transport to come to the stadium.
However, their coach Biggie Zuze refused to throw in the towel.
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“This has been a very difficult season for us, but we are not going to throw in the towel yet. We tried to pick up the pieces, but it was just not our day. It is also difficult to motivate players who are not receiving their salaries. Since the season started these young boys have not received any winning bonus at all,” he said.
Zuze also said his side had not been aware that they were going to play the match today.
“I was planning with Sunday (today) in mind because that is when I thought the match would be played. It was only yesterday when I learnt that the match would be played today (yesterday),” he said.
Black Mambas assistant coach Martin Bonongwe said his side was not entirely safe from relegation.
Meanwhile, Shabanie Mine survived a huge Tripple B scare as they came from behind to beat the Division One-bound side 3-2 to ease relegation worries at Maglas, Zvishavane yesterday.
The Chinda Boys moved two places up the ladder, from 11th position to ninth before other fixtures are played this afternoon.
Tripple B defender Michael Variso was a big letdown to his teammates as he gifted Shabanie Mine with two goals.
Variso beat his own goalkeeper as early as the ninth minute before Tripple B equalised through regular scorer Alick Marime in the 16th minute.
Variso, who had a bad day in the office, was back again to beat his own goalminder with another tricky flick in the 35th minute, but Lloyd Chiwaridzo pulled another equaliser for Tripple B in the 63rd minute.
It was Luke Masomere’s trusted servant Pervington Zimunya who scored the match winner three minutes later to ensure that the asbestos miners enjoy yet another stay in the top-flight league.
