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Kelvin Kaindu

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
BATTLE lines have been drawn for the Chibuku Super Cup final after How Mine coach Kelvin Kaindu fired a salvo at Harare City and just fell short of accusing the Sunshine City Boys of using juju.

How Mine beat Shabanie Mine 3-1 to book a place in the final, while Harare City knocked out Bulawayo City 1-0. Both semi-finals were played as a double header at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.

A brace by Tinashe Makanda and a strike by Kuda Musharu powered How Mine to a comfortable victory over Shabanie Mine, while Martin Vengesayi scored Harare City’s solitary goal.

Responding to Harare City coach Philani Ncube’s barbs before the semi-finals draw that he was not worried about How Mine and could play them anywhere in the country and still win, Kaindu said he is looking forward to the final.

“We’re playing a game (the final) where the opponents wanted to play us and it has happened. We wait to see what is going to happen. We’re playing a team that plays the game before kick-off. I know you understand what I’m talking about,” said Kaindu.

“There’s a lot that is involved, there will be the battle on the field and battle outside. I think God will be on our side,” he said.

This will be the second time Kaindu and Ncube meet in the final of a major competition.

Kaindu led Highlanders to the 2013 Mbada Diamonds Cup victory by beating How Mine, then coached by Ncube.

The Zambian fancies his chances of winning a second major cup.

“The chances are quite bright if you’re in the final; you have the possibility of lifting it. There are only 90 minutes standing ahead of us and if we can come up with a good side and focus on what we’re doing and believe in what we can do, we will make it.

“We know we’re playing a team that believes in other things, that is their strength, but for us we worship God and we trust in the Almighty. This one is a battle which has started and I think there’ll be many issues that will come out.

“There will be football being played even at night or even before the game. But we believe that at the end of the day this is what someone wanted and I’m happy that God has allowed it to be like that,” Kaindu said.

How Mine’s road to the final began with a 2-1 first round win over Bantu Rovers before they beat Chapungu by a similar score line in the quarterfinals.

Harare City started their campaign with a 2-1 win over Highlanders followed by a 1-0 win over Black Rhinos.

Ncube promised to give How Mine a good fight in the final.

“We’re not going to the final to give How Mine the Cup on a silver platter and hopefully Kaindu will have a soft spot for us as he did against Bulawayo City and give untested players a run.

“One thing for sure is it puts me under pressure coaching a team in this tournament that has won it before and reached the final twice and represented Zimbabwe in the Caf Confederations Cup. But I don’t want to be the coach that finishes in the semi-final and now that we’ve progressed to the final, we want to win it,” said Ncube.

@ZililoR