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Masomere tips Chicken Inn for Mbada Cup

Sport
SHABANIE Mine coach Luke Masomere is tipping Chicken Inn to go all the way to the final of the Mbada Diamonds Cup.

SHABANIE Mine coach Luke Masomere is tipping Chicken Inn to go all the way to the final of the Mbada Diamonds Cup.

TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA

Masomere, a winner of the BancABC Sup8r Cup after beating Lloyd Mutasa’s FC Platinum in the final, believes the Gamecocks have what it takes to win the lucrative tournament.

The Shabanie Mine gaffer had watched his charges beating Chicken Inn 2-0 in the first round of the BancABC Sup8r Cup, but following his team’s elimination by the Bulawayo side in the Mbada Diamonds Cup first round, he insists that although Dynamos are the defending champions, Chicken Inn could pull off a surprise and lift the prestigious cup.

He says he has been impressed by the zeal Chicken Inn are showing. He was a witness when his charges were handed a 3-0 hiding by the same side — a defeat that booted them out of the Mbada Diamonds Cup following three second half goals from Canaan Nkomo, Clement Matawu and Kuda Mahachi.

The Gamecocks clash with Caps United for a place in the last four of the tournament in what is seen as the toughest pairing of the Mbada Diamonds Cup.

“In my opinion, Chicken Inn might go very far in this tournament. If you look at the way they are playing, they are showing a lot of zeal and the potential to reach the final. They might pull off a surprise and win the Mbada Diamonds Cup,” Masomere said.

Chicken Inn were in such irresistible form that coach Mandla Mpofu declared after the match against Shabanie Mine his side matched any team in the country and that he was looking forward to winning the Mbada Diamonds Cup.

“With this kind of display, what can stop us from winning the Cup?” Mpofu asked reporters after the match.

“We have a team that can match any team in the country, we just need to believe in ourselves and we will conquer. I’m very much pleased with the hunger for success displayed by the young lads and if they could go on like this, then they have got a bright future with regard to their football careers.”

In other matches, defending champions Dynamos face a tricky fixture against How Mine at Rufaro Stadium, while Harare City have a tough trip to Beitbridge for a date with Hwange.

Highlanders will play Buffaloes at Masvingo’s Mucheke Stadium.