The ManicaPost
Moffat Mungazi Sports Correspondent
WHILE Triangle were making an emphatic entrance into the African inter-club competition, a boy from Mutare was also enjoying a majestic debut in the same tournament this past weekend.
The Lowveld side made light work of Rukinzo in a Caf Confederation Cup preliminary round first leg tie at Babourfields two weeks ago, pummelling the hapless visiting Burundi team 5-0.
And Nyasha Chintuli, a lad who traces his roots to the eastern border city, helped sweeten the Sugar Sugar Boys’ maiden appearance on the continental arena by weighing in with a goal during that rout.
The fledgling forward, thrown on right at the death of the game just to have some minutes into his legs and wind the clock down, immediately paid the faith his coach Taurai Mangwiro had shown in him by hitting the five-goal haul’s knockout blow.
Chintuli struck with barely his first touch on the pitch, nodding in fellow substitute Russell Madamombe’s cross after replacing brace hero and man-of-the-match Allan Tavarwisa in the 91st minute.
His teammates midfielder Pasca Manhanga and goalkeeper Chang Marion – who both also hail from Mutare — were unused substitutes in the match.
Ecstatic about opening his goal-scoring account on such a grand stage as the Caf Confederation Cup, the La Sakubva junior product declared the ambition to make his net-busting exploits a regular occurrence.
“It is such an overwhelming feeling to be part of this group as we embark on this historic campaign.
That this is the club’s first time ever competing among some of Africa’s best teams means a lot and makes our participation in this competition a cherished experience. We are hoping to rise to the occasion and deliver because our desire is to do well.
“On my part, being among the goal scorers in such a prestigious tournament like the Confederation Cup motivates me to do even better. It boosts confidence and challenges me to improve my game and take it to the next level. My goal is to bang them in more often and help my team in pursuit of its targets.
It would be fantastic if Triangle can compete and get far in this battle,” enthused the buoyant marksman after scoring probably the most important goal of his career thus far.
He added: “Hard work pays and anything is possible in football. This is really encouraging and it emboldens me to reach the targets I have set for myself as I continue to develop.”
As his stock continues to rise, the Zifa Eastern Region Division One Soccer Star of the Year for the 2018 season is keeping his feet firmly on the ground as he eyes more glory with the Chibuku Super Cup holders.
The second leg of this preliminary round contest against Rukinzo is on tomorrow (Saturday) away in Burundi and Triangle will be looking to finish off the job and advance to the next phase of the competition.
