HIGHLANDERS defied all the odds on Saturday to lift the Mbada Diamonds Cup for the first time after crushing How Mine 3-0 at Barbourfields Stadium and with that claimed the $130 000 cheque prize money.
NewsDay Editorial
Congratulations are in order to Kelvin Kaindu, the boys and the Peter Dube executive. After seven years of toiling and sweating, their only cup being the Independence Trophy from the 2011 triumph, Highlanders had been written off as they also lost the league title twice in a row on goal difference to champions Dynamos.
On Sunday Highlanders dominated, mesmerised and entertained the 22 000-strong crowd with a brilliant display of attacking football.
These were the results of the hard work and three people in particular — coach Kelvin Kaindu, Masimba Mambare and Njabulo Ncube — would be happy that their hard work has finally paid off. Mambare has been a target of frustrated boo boys, but he silenced them in stunning fashion with that third goal.
Ncube, probably a striker that many a defender would love to hate due to his passion for Highlanders, agility, forcefulness and ability to create chances for others and even score, was on target, together with Peter Moyo.
Once again, congratulations to Highlanders and let’s hope they will build on this financial success for the future.
It was worth the wait! The outpouring of joy from the Highlanders faithfuls was evident the moment the first goal was scored and by the time they scored the third, it was already party time.
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The millions of Highlanders fans, especially those that were watching on Supersport 9, from outside Zimbabwe were surely impressed by the massive display of power play on Saturday. Three goals in a final is no fluke and could simply be a product of hard work and self-belief.
How Mine did not bank on tactics against Highlanders, but rather on history. On their way to the final, they toppled defending champions Dynamos and Caps United and having beaten Highlanders twice this season, they thought they would have the trophy on a silver platter.
Nevertheless, the very fact that they reached the final is a historic achievement for them and will now represent Zimbabwe in the Caf Confederation Cup next year, having confirmed their participation on Saturday.
And now to Mbada Diamonds we say keep up the good work of supporting the country’s most popular sport and hopefully the 2014 edition will be much bigger and better, and seeing that we have new teams in Plumtree, Hippo Valley and Kariba, the games will even be spread far and wide.
Kudos to Mbada Diamonds on behalf of the football-loving fraternity, for staging yet another successful football tourney.
It is hoped that the Premier Soccer League in their review of the 2013 season, will recognise this hard work Mbada have put in for football lovers.
