The ManicaPost
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
AFTER hosting its last top-flight league football match in December 2022, refurbished Sakubva Stadium will play host to Castle Lager Premiership 2024 season matches, starting with Sunday’s mouth-watering clash pitting Manica Diamonds and Simba Bhora.
The then top-flight league outfit, Tenax FC hosted Manica Diamonds in the final round of the 2022 season matches, before the facility was condemned at the start of the season last year.
The December 2022 condemnation, the last after a series of similar acts in the past, gave Mutare City Council — the custodians of the facility — the impetus to carry out extensive renovations on the drainage and turf.
The local authority managed to complete the task within the set out timeframe, and on Sunday, Jairos Tapera’s team, which had become accustomed to travelling week-in week-out, will play their home encounter before their fans.
JT, as Tapera is fondly referred to in football circles, reckons that the match against Simba Bhora will be a test of character.
“It is a very interesting match for our supporters. It comes after a long time since we last played at Sakubva Stadium. It will certainly be a difficult match, considering the way they (Simba Bhora) have beefed up their squad. They are financially stable with one of the most experienced coaches in Tonderai Ndiraya.”
The former Young Warriors gaffer, whose team also made some additions to the squad, including the much publicised acquisition of Kuda Mahachi, said he will employ the diamond formation.
“We have respect for them, but we are Manica Diamonds, and we will play the diamond way. We are preparing well. The team is responding well to our training methods, and we look forward to an exciting game,” he said.
Tapera was quick to urge fans to throng Sakubva Stadium in their numbers.
“For our supporters, we also call upon them to come out in their numbers and witness their team playing on Sunday. We really need them. We value them. There is no club that succeed without the help of its fans, and Manica Diamonds is not an exception,” the former Black Rhinos team manager said.
On the fatigue that his players suffered from travelling every week last season, Tapera said: “We are excited that we will be playing at home now. We are not going to be travelling those long journeys. We want to see how my boys will respond to playing in front of our home supporters.”
Simba Bhora owner, Simba Ndoro, has made his intentions clear: the 2024 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League crown is theirs for the taking.
To fuel this audacious dream, they have unveiled a staggering 10 new signings, ideally a veritable who’s who of Zimbabwean footballing talent, among them Walter Musona, the 2022 soccer star of the year, and his former FC Platinum teammate, Perfect Chikwende,
Ex-Dynamos’ rising star, Junior Makunike, and the experienced gloveman, Talbert Shumba are among the notable Simba Bhora signings.
No doubt, each signing they made carries the weight of expectation, the promise of goals, tackles, and saves that could catapult Simba Bhora to the pinnacle of Zimbabwean football.
Added to that Tonderai Ndiraya, nicknamed Stanza, Simba Bhora’s youthful coach, knows something about shopping sprees.
However, over the years, his name has become synonymous with transfer windows brimming with new faces, and yet success proving elusive.
His stints at Ngezi Platinum and Dynamos saw a revolving door of players, yet trophies remained tantalisingly out of reach.
2024 presents yet another test for Stanza!
