Last chance saloon for Ex-Pirates star, Mushangazhike in Zim Cup

Former Orlando Pirates striker Gilbert Mushangazhike is relishing his last chance to account for some silverware in charge Golden Eagles this season.

Mushangazhike and his Golden Eagles are set to take on Simba Bhora in the Northern Region Axis Solutions Cup final on 22 October.

A total of R 360 000 [ USD 20 000] is at stake in this coveted cup final which will also wrap up action for this season in the Northern Region.

Golden Eagles fizzled out towards the end of the Northern Region Soccer League competition.

They ended up playing bridesmaids to Simba Bhora, who clinched the promotion ticket into the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.

And without a doubt, the 47-year-old hopes to get some respite by winning the coveted cup and repay the club for the faith they bestowed in him.

MUSHANGAZHIKE HOPEFUL

“I’m happy that we reached this stage. All this while my team has played according to my instructions. We won some and lost some. It’s football,” Mushangazhike told FARPost.

“I salute my players for their spirit, and we hope to win this final. It’s obviously not going to be easy.

“We played them before, but this is a cup final. It’s a different ball game. It will be a tight match, but I reserve my respect for them. They are the Northern Region Division One Champions.

“We will see what happens in the final; days are moving fast, and since the league ended, we have since channelled all our energy and focus to this match which is anticipated in this region.

“This is a point where we must not be easily shaken and where we should show character to triumph, no matter how difficult it will be.”

Golden Eagles eliminated Trojan Stars to reach the finals, while Simba Bhora beat Herentals Under 20 in the semi-finals.

In their previous meetings, Golden Eagles picked one point from their two games in the league. They lost 3-1 in the first leg and forced a 1-1 share of the spoils in the second leg.