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Tonderai Ndiraya

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
CUP final debutants Ngezi Platinum have been dealt a body blow ahead of their Chibuku Super Cup final clash against FC Platinum on Saturday following the suspension of their tough-as-teak defender Byron Madzokere.

Madzokere, who has formed a formidable three-man defensive wall with Partson Jaure and Edgar Tapera, picked up yellow cards against Hwange in the quarter-finals and in the semi-final duel with Highlanders.

The suspension has left coach Tonderai Ndiraya a worried man.

“We were disturbed with news that Byron will not be playing in the final due to suspension and that has been our stumbling block in preparations. We just have to find an able replacement and right now two guys are fighting for his place and I just hope they will fit in well,” said Ndiraya.

He said despite the setback, other players were available and ready to do battle in what is turning out to be a fairytale run for the PSL debutants, who were at one time strong candidates for relegation until the arrival of Ndiraya.

“Playing at home has somehow assisted us, but we are a bit concerned by the excitement on the boys’ part. We are trying to control that so that they approach the game normally just like any other match we have played because now you can clearly see the overexcitement in them. Physically and technically the boys are ready with my worry being the psychological aspect, but we are working on correcting that,” said Ndiraya.

They come up against a side with tried and trusted personnel both on the technical side and playing personnel, as some were part of the team that lifted the Chibuku Super Cup in its inaugural year in 2014.

Besides coach Norman Mapeza, players like goalkeeper Petros Mhari and the Moyo twins, Elvis and Kelvin, are among the players that won the cup in its inaugural year through a 3-1 penalty shootout win over Harare City.

City thought they had done everything in their power to win, but with just seconds before the end of the match and the score line 1-0 in their favour, distaster stuck when FC Platinum were awarded a free kick, which Thabani Kamusoko took and Walter Musona slotted home in the resulting goalmouth melee.

Winners of Saturday’s final will walk away with $75 000 and the right to represent Zimbabwe in the Caf Confederations Cup next season. The losers will walk away with $50 000.

According to the rules of the tournament, the match will go into extra time in the event the two sides are deadlocked after 90 minutes and if there is no winner after extra time, penalty shootouts will decide the winner.

@skhumoyo2000