One more game
Debutants to Division One Football: MWOS FC will play their final game of the season on Saturday, November 25, when they face PAM FC at MWOS Ngoni Stadium. Expectations are high for the home team to deliver, as they are regarded as one of the best teams in the league. PAM, on the other hand, will be playing away to a motivated home team that wants to finish in the top four of the Northen Region Soccer League. A very entertaining game is to be expected.
MWOS FC have had a good season in the eyes of many. Being debutants, they created a name for themselves by beating some of the biggest clubs that had dominated the NRSL in years past. They managed to stay in the top half of the league table and, at one point, were challenging for the title. Surprisingly, they had better form away as compared to when they played at home. Sentiments from many are that if the Punters had delivered more winning performances at home, the season would have gone a different way.
The Punters head into Saturday’s encounter with the need to redeem themselves and meet a milestone that many clubs fail to achieve at their first trial. MWOS FC are fifth on the league table, a point behind Herentals U20, who play away to league leaders Chegutu Pirates. The Punters will be motivated to pick up all the points as they are coming from a disappointing result that saw Commando Bullets equalise from a freekick in the 90th minute, making sure that the points were shared at MWOS Ngoni Stadium. A win against PAM will mean the Punters will be one step closer to a top-four finish, with the determinant factor being the result at Pfupajena Stadium, as they hope Chegutu will not allow Herentals U20 to win.
The 2023 season has seen the Punters create a formidable team. Blessing Mwandimutsira kept the goal safe at the start of the season before Kelvin Shangiwa eventually took over. The duo has helped the Punters maintain a decent goal-conceeding rate as they provide competition for each other. Chris Samakwere showed up for the Punters all through the season, proving why he is the captain. There was a surge in young talent in the club as young players stepped up to the scene to prove they had what it took to play for the Punters. Willard Zakeyo, Tinashe Giya, Noah Simango, Tadiwa Zhou, and Tyronne Matongorere are worthy mentions.
As preparations intensify for the last game of the season, head coach Lloyd Mutasa is excited and hopeful for a positive result. “We are playing our last game of the season, and we want to win it so we can head into the offseason knowing we finished high. We will win, I am sure,” said head coach Lloyd Mutasa.