…Oneness, hard work behind run of success-Mutasa
Emmanuel Chitsika
Eastern Region Division One soccer pacesetters Green Fuel is on a fairy tale run in their march towards promotion into the Premier Soccer League come the end of the current 2022 lower division campaign.
The Chisumbanje-based outfit has managed to go for an unbeaten run of 20 out of 20 games with 15 victories and five stalemates.
The team under the tutelage of former Dynamos soccer star and gaffer Lloyd Mutasa seems to be on course towards being crowned champions in the division.
Mutasa said the main secret behind the whole story of success is a result of the oneness spirit and hard work between players, management and other concerned stakeholders.
“The secret is team work. At Green Fuel, we work as a team that is from the technical team, players, the executive, board, supporters and even sponsors as well as other stakeholders we work with. There is an element of oneness and unity of purpose at the club; hence we are where we are right now,” said Mutasa.
Quizzed on how the flamboyant side fancy chances of promotion into the top flight, the soft-spoken coach said their destiny is in their own hands while also pointing out how tricky the race is.
“We are nine points ahead on the log, but what matters most is how we approach the remaining games as they come. As far as we are concerned, our destiny and that of the league is in our hands and if we take care of our games without looking at how other teams play, we will be able to make it to the ‘Promised Land’.
“Here in the first division every game played is like a cup final whereas in the top flight it may be a bit different because here if you lose one or two games, it would be difficult to recover. In the premiership, even if you lose three to four games, you can still make up and be crowned champions.
“Results in the top flight may be very unpredictable in top flight but here in Division One there is a time when you can see that a fixture against a certain team is so tough while some appear easy but in the premier league any team can win a game,” he added.
However, Mutasa said those situations where players who would have driven a team in to the top flight league are off-loaded might differ according to team visions as his current crop of players possess qualities to dance with the big boys in the premiership.
“It all goes to your vision as a team and how you would have managed to get promotion in to the league that is was it by sheer luck or hard working. If it’s out of hard working, then why can’t we give the players a chance to prove themselves?
“The majority of our current players have what it takes to play in the premiership. We have got some experienced guys while some might not have played many games in Division One but have the potential which calls for them being given a chance to play.
“We always put team work on the fore front. We also have a sense of togetherness as ‘we’ is more common in our language at the club than ‘I’ or ‘me’ which means one cannot do it alone,” emphasized Mutasa.
With around eight games remaining, Green Fuel looks set to wrap up the championship even if they can win five of the remaining fixtures as they are in a nine-point commanding lead ahead of second-placed Mutare City Rovers.
