The ManicaPost
Ray Bande, Senior Reporter
THE serene environs of Lake Mutirikwi in Masvingo are one of the few things that have remained the same in the way Manica Diamonds handled their pre-season preparations last year after some sweeping changes to their administrative, technical and player composition coming into the 2020 Castle Lager Premiership season.
Where we used to have the perceived gigantic figure of Luke Masomere as head coach of an ambitious project, we now have little-known Johanisi Nhumwa, a long-time understudy of his home-boy Masomere, who managed to surprise everyone including himself when he steered the ship not only to safety but to an impressive top five finish.
Where we used to have new signings Partson “Yellow” Jaure, Tafadzwa Dube and Wisdom Mutasa among many others, we now have Ashley “Kambola” Reyners, Tawanda “Finger” Nyamandwe, Xolisani Moyo, Lucky Vundla, Lloyd Katongomara among others on the list of latest acquisitions.
And where we used to have young, energetic and soft-spoken administrator Lloyd Chinawa and former Warriors player Lazarus “Kabila” Muhoni as part of the club executive committee before the explosion of a well-plotted yet ugly boardroom coup, we now have a female voice in the administration of the club following the roping in of brainy and sober-minded Mutare legal practitioner Memory Mandingwa.
Be that as it maybe, the Gem Boys, as Manica Diamonds are fondly referred to by all who are familiar with this Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company community social responsibility project, are back in the ambience of Lake Mutirkwi environs in the country’s oldest city as the team enjoys a week-long camp in preparation for a potentially challenging season ahead.
Ending fifth on the table in their debut season, by all standards was an impressive feat but the challenge is to maintain or even surpassing that accomplishment.
And surely so, maintaining the standard is all that coach Nhumwa is worried about.
The Dutch Mentor, as Nhumwa is affectionately known, said: “We started our pre-season camp well and we are hoping to get the best out of it in terms of conditioning and physical fitness.
“We will round up on Sunday and play a practice match against Bikita Minerals at Lithium Stadium in Bikita on our way back to Mutare. As a club we are concerned mainly with maintaining the standards that we set last season.
“We cannot really say we want to end the season on which position but my main worry is to ensure that we maintain the momentum from last season.”
Nhumwa was confident that the players they had recruited would be equal to the task.
“We have done a massive recruitment exercise and, accordingly, we hope that the players that we have will compete favourably in the domestic top-flight league.
“In fact, I am confident that we will be able to compete with any team in the league.
“I am happy with the squad we have assembled,” he said.
Manica Diamonds have roped into their squad former ZPC Kariba trio of Xolisani Moyo, Tawanda Nyamandwe and Talent Chamboko, ex-Hwange speedy winger Lucky Vundla, Ashley Reyners from Black Rhinos, former Dynamos, Mutare City and Buffaloes defender Themba Ndlovu, former Masvingo United player Michael Tapera, Charles Teguru and Lloyd Katongomara from Buffaloes, Mushowani Stars duo of left back Sunboy Savare and centre back Eria Mafirenyika.
