The ManicaPost
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
TWENTY-Four-YEAR-OLD Manica Diamonds’ top man, Fortune Binzi, who shot to the top of the Castle Lager Premiership Golden Boot race after last weekend’s round of league matches, has struck a rich vein of form, but the Sakubva-born and bred player is not only keeping his eyes on the prize, but a cool head, too.
The former Zamba Primary and Mutare Boys’ High school learner raised his tally to six, thanks to his precision in front of goal that saw him being on target again as his late goal rescued a point for Manica Diamonds against champions, FC Platinum.
The Gem Boys forced a two-all stalemate against the league reigning champions in a Castle Lager Premiership match played last week on Saturday at Mandava Stadium.
The result lifted the diamond miners into fourth position with 12 points from eight games, tied with FC Platinum who occupy fifth place.
They are three points adrift of log leaders, CAPS United.
But it is the story of Binzi, that resembles the rise of a phoenix, which remains topical as it left him two goals ahead of Herentals’ Tafadzwa Jimu, Brighton Makopa of Hwange, Wilson Mensah of Triangle and Qard Amini of Ngezi Platinum who have scored four goals so far this season.
The duo of Takunda Benhura of Ngezi Platinum, Juan Mutudza of FC Platinum have three goals so far and are on third position on the Castle Lager Premiership top goal scorer’s list.
Binzi, who honed his goal scoring aptitude from La Sakubva Juniors before joining Mutare City Rovers and later Yadah Stars FC, is the only player who has scored a hat-trick so far in the 2023 domestic top-flight league.
Hat-tricks are no easy feat, especially for the contemporary goal-shy strikers who hardly exceed the 15 goal mark per season.
Last season, only four players scored hat-tricks the entire season.
These are William Manondo of Caps United FC, departed Manica Diamonds duo of Lloyd Katongomara and Nyasha Tito Chintuli and Delic Murimba of Ngezi Platinum Stars FC.
For his fine run, humble Binzi has God to thank.
“It was God since day one. Hardworking and believing in myself has also helped me to come this far. Respect and being humble is something that I have tried to maintain.
“All I wish is to score more goals and achieve my dream. My dream is to play for the national team and to play in Europe. This is every serious player’s dream,” said Binzi.
His coach, Jairos Tapera concedes that, indeed, Binzi has acquitted himself well.
“For sure, Fortune Binzi has done well. It is the team that is assisting him to do the best. I am happy for him and the team we will keep the check on him so that he reaches his full potential,” said Tapera.
On his team’s sudden improvement in form that has translated into positive results, Tapera said: “I think it is down to hard work. Everybody is doing exactly what he is supposed to do. We are also getting to know each other as a team, both the players and their coaches.”
Asked about his club’s targets going into the 2023 season halfway mark, Tapera said: “The good form we are currently enjoying is something that did not come on a silver platter, but a direct result of hard work. We just want to continue collecting points, as many points as we can. That is the target we have set for ourselves, to collect as many points as we can.”
