SIMBA Bhora head coach Mandla Mpofu has hailed forward Petrus Simaneka as an “unbelievable talent” after the Namibian international announced his arrival in the domestic league with a stunning overhead kick to sink ZPC Kariba over the weekend.
The gangly striker has endured a frustrating start to life in Shamva since joining at the start of the season. His debut against Highlanders on March 21 ended in heartbreak when he was forced off with an injury less than 20 minutes after coming on as a substitute.
Despite the brief cameo, Simaneka showed flashes of the quality that prompted the 2024 champions to secure his signature.
After two weeks on the sidelines, the forward returned to action a fortnight ago against Scottland, featuring in the final 15 minutes.
He proved influential in that appearance, playing a key role in Harrison Masina’s goal as Simba Bhora staged a dramatic comeback to stun the defending champions 2–1.
However, it was Saturday’s heroics at Wadzanayi Stadium that truly endeared him to home supporters.
Just four minutes after entering the fray, Simaneka met a cross from the right that appeared overhit. With instinctive brilliance, he improvised an audacious bicycle kick that flew past Warriors trialist goalkeeper Future Sibanda to seal a 2–1 victory.
Speaking ahead of a gruelling week that sees Simba Bhora travel to Chicken Inn today before hosting log leaders Caps United three days later, Mpofu could not hide his admiration for the striker.
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"He is getting better," Mpofu said. "I gave him 15 minutes because he is not yet 100% fit. And he came in and did wonderfully well. Besides the goal that he scored, one of the best goals so far, his off-the-run, his technique is just unbelievable. He is an unbelievable talent. As we go on, as we play more, I'm sure he will get better. On Wednesday, he will get a little bit more time. And the game after that, maybe he might start."
The victory over ZPC Kariba marked a third consecutive win for the Shamva-based side, following impressive results against FC Platinum and Scottland. This surge has catapulted the 2024 champions back into the title conversation, lifting them to fourth on the log standings.
Despite the growing excitement, Mpofu is determined to keep his squad grounded.
"We have to keep our heads down, stay humble, and take each game as it comes. We haven't done anything yet. We still have to go to four games, five games, 10 games, why not? So it's about us staying focused, keeping our eyes on the ball," he warned.
While the results are trending upward, the coach admitted he remains concerned by his side's profligacy in front of goal.
"It's something that we need to work on... as to how best we can finish chances. Against ZPC Kariba, we got over seven to eight one-on-one situations where I thought we could have done better. It's not easy to create that number of good chances in this league. The chances that we are creating, I've never seen them when I go and watch the other team. We work so hard to create those opportunities, but we are failing to put them away. Our conversion rate is poor. But we are slowly getting there."
Simba Bhora face a narrative-heavy encounter today against a wounded Chicken Inn side led by their former coach Tonderai Ndiraya, the man who guided the Shamva side to their maiden league title two years ago.
The Gamecocks are desperate for a response after a 1–0 loss to MWOS left them in ninth place, 10 points behind leaders Caps United.
"They have built a competitive side that wants to win the championship. Their intention is clear," Mpofu noted regarding his opponents. "It's not a game that we can go there and take it lightly. We will go there with our heads up and make sure that we get three points and come back home."
For Mpofu and the Simba Bhora supporters, the hope is that Simaneka has a bit more magic left in his boots to keep the club resurgence alive.
