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Joey Antipas

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO’S two representatives in the NetOne sponsored One Wallet Cup, How Mine and Chicken Inn, are confident of going all the way to set up an all Bulawayo affair in the final.The two sides get into action at Mandava Stadium tomorrow and Sunday with Chicken Inn getting the ball rolling against Lowveld side Triangle before How Mine, under the nomadic Luke Masomere, take on Dynamos on Sunday.

Winners of the competition will receive $80,000, runners up $50,000 while the two teams that will lose this weekend will get $30,000 each.

Highlanders, Caps United, Harare City and FC Platinum — quarter-finals victims of the remaining four teams — will each get $20,000.

Without doubt, the match of the weekend will be on Sunday but action begins tomorrow when Joey Antipas, whose team has been enjoying a purple patch so far, faces Triangle under Biggie Zuze.

Zuze has been blaming everyone but himself for the team’s dismal run in the league where they have lost to giants Highlanders and Dynamos in recent weeks.

He blamed referees for the two defeats.

“We have been playing well so far and it’s good to maintain that momentum and mentality. Our attitude has to be positive as we get into the field on Saturday (tomorrow),” said Antipas.

He declared the mood in camp as good and said complacency remains a foreign term in their dugout.

“One thing for sure is that we will do our best to get to the final and so far we have a happy camp,” said the 2010 championship winning coach with now relegated Monomotapa. Ever controversial How Mine gaffer Masomere downplayed the threat posed by their opponents on Sunday, declaring the match as part of his preparations for next season.

“I am looking beyond this season, I am preparing for next season and the game against Dynamos is part of those preparations. We are going to play in a relaxed way but playing good football,” said Masomere, who will be in charge of his third top flight team this season and his 10th team in 15 years.

He conceded that morale and self confidence in his team was at its lowest ebb, not because of poor remuneration but because of a string of poor results that the team has been posting.

“I don’t want to put a lot of pressure on the boys but we are going to Mandava to play good football and naturally proceed to the final. How Mine is a far more organised side than most of these teams that I have worked with but we have to be seen that we are organised by playing good football,” said Masomere, who won his maiden league title in 2003 with AmaZulu.

Last season he led Shabanie Mine to a Sup8r Cup win.

How Mine’s opponents Dynamos are likely to welcome back Roderick Mutuma and Murape Murape who had their suspensions lifted by the club on Wednesday.