Sports / Local
Giant killers - How Mine - in bizarre dressing room ritual
12 Nov 2013 at 17:44hrs | Views
Candles burn behind the scenes in the How Mine dressing room while the match plays at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday
NOT even a break-in into How Mine's dressing room during the first half of the Mbada Diamonds Cup semi-final at the National Sports Stadium could save Caps United from being knocked out of the richest soccer tournament in the land.
The Premiership debutants HowMine produced a class act avoiding an off-the-field incident by Caps United marshals who broke into their dressing room 15 minutes after kick off in search of juju.
Sources privy to developments in the capital said the Harare giants' marshals forced their way into the gold miners' dressing room 15 minutes into the match and turned the room inside out as they sought to neutralise How Mine's "magical powers."
When they broke in with a camera crew in tow, the sources said, they found burning candles which were surrounding bottles with liquid in them. The set up of the candles and the bottles was in typical football formation all numbering 11.
According to the sources, Caps United received a tip off that How Mine were using "supernatural powers" to influence the outcome of the game.
Destroying what was in the dressing room looked the only way to go.
As they were forcing their way into the visitors' dressing room, an unnamed official ran to inform How Mine's head coach Philani "Beefy" Ncube on the touchline that their "privacy" was being invaded and the gaffer advised his watchman to take police along, the sources said.
There have been persistent reports that How Mine's coach uses juju, an allegation that he strongly denies.
There have also been allegations that before his team's competitive matches, Ncube goes to the match venues to conduct some rituals which affect his opponents' performances, an accusation he refutes.
Even after the break-in into their dressing room at the National Sports Stadium, Ncube denied that the candles were for juju but said they were for his team's prayers.
He took a dig at those who believe that he uses juju to get results at every club he coaches.
Ncube, a former Premier League Coach of the Year winner with Njube Sundowns, said it was unfortunate that people credit his tactical ability in football to juju.
The much travelled gaffer, who has led now defunct Piggot Maskew, Railstars, Chicken Inn, Zimbabwe Saints and Quelaton, declared that he is a Christian and was not bothered by what people say.
"Like I always say, I believe in myself and I like to face challenges. I don't care what people say about me using juju because I know that only the Almighty knows that I use the head he gave me to think. It's not a secret that ngingumpostoli and I go to church koNgwenya. God is the one who gives me wisdom and strength to conquer.
"I was not disturbed that they broke into our dressing room and messed around with our prayers because we knew that we were protected by the power of God who guided us to victory," said Ncube.
KoNgwenya is an apostolic sect based in Pumula South which was founded by Thabiso Ngwenya.
Ngwenya, better known as "Mabomber", is famous for his bottle act in which his congregants bring bottles filled with water which he shakes and smashes to the ground as a solution to problems.
A number of prominent people have thronged Ngwenya's shrine since 2006/7 as they seek his help for success in their marriages, businesses and cures for various ailments.
How Mine's assistant coach Simba Rusike, a proud member of AFM church, denied reports that it was juju that was found in their dressing room.
Rusike said they were not ashamed of what Caps United found in their dressing room.
"Let me tell you something, everyone is free to choose which church to belong to. My head coach is a mpostori and I belong to a pentecostal church AFM and since we are protected by God, really, did they think that by messing around with the prayers they were going to beat us?
"Our living God had already heard our prayers and we scored all our goals after they had broken into our dressing room," said Rusike.
When How Mine went for the break, they were a goal down but turned the tables around in the second half as they equalised through Warren Dube in the 54th minute before Menard Mupera scored what is arguably the tournament's best goal three minutes later.
Caps United went on to level the scores on the hour mark through Tawanda Nyamandwe forcing the game into a penalty shoot-out.
The gold miners went on to beat United 4-2 on penalties to set up a date with Highlanders in an all-Bulawayo final.
Rusike advised other coaches to spend their energy on planning and strategising for the games as well as seeking divine intervention before their matches instead of "witch-hunting".
Cases of use of juju or magical powers in the Premiership are rife with Harare City's coach Bigboy Mawiwi having been on the receiving end after being "baptised" with urine at some matches where fans believed that he had "barricaded" the goals.
Before How Mine's 1-0 win against Dynamos in the Mbada Diamonds Cup quarter-finals in Harare, Rusike was manhandled by DeMbare's marshals who felt he was staying behind on the field of play to plant some juju.
The Premiership chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele said they would only act after getting the match commissioner's report.
"If it is true that there was a break-in, then that is a criminal matter but I cannot comment any further because I was not at that game and we will be guided by the match commissioner's report on what steps we can take," Ndebele said.
Ndebele was out of the country facilitating a Fifa workshop in Uganda and only jetted into Bulawayo on Saturday evening.
The Premiership debutants HowMine produced a class act avoiding an off-the-field incident by Caps United marshals who broke into their dressing room 15 minutes after kick off in search of juju.
Sources privy to developments in the capital said the Harare giants' marshals forced their way into the gold miners' dressing room 15 minutes into the match and turned the room inside out as they sought to neutralise How Mine's "magical powers."
When they broke in with a camera crew in tow, the sources said, they found burning candles which were surrounding bottles with liquid in them. The set up of the candles and the bottles was in typical football formation all numbering 11.
According to the sources, Caps United received a tip off that How Mine were using "supernatural powers" to influence the outcome of the game.
Destroying what was in the dressing room looked the only way to go.
As they were forcing their way into the visitors' dressing room, an unnamed official ran to inform How Mine's head coach Philani "Beefy" Ncube on the touchline that their "privacy" was being invaded and the gaffer advised his watchman to take police along, the sources said.
There have been persistent reports that How Mine's coach uses juju, an allegation that he strongly denies.
There have also been allegations that before his team's competitive matches, Ncube goes to the match venues to conduct some rituals which affect his opponents' performances, an accusation he refutes.
Even after the break-in into their dressing room at the National Sports Stadium, Ncube denied that the candles were for juju but said they were for his team's prayers.
He took a dig at those who believe that he uses juju to get results at every club he coaches.
Ncube, a former Premier League Coach of the Year winner with Njube Sundowns, said it was unfortunate that people credit his tactical ability in football to juju.
The much travelled gaffer, who has led now defunct Piggot Maskew, Railstars, Chicken Inn, Zimbabwe Saints and Quelaton, declared that he is a Christian and was not bothered by what people say.
"Like I always say, I believe in myself and I like to face challenges. I don't care what people say about me using juju because I know that only the Almighty knows that I use the head he gave me to think. It's not a secret that ngingumpostoli and I go to church koNgwenya. God is the one who gives me wisdom and strength to conquer.
"I was not disturbed that they broke into our dressing room and messed around with our prayers because we knew that we were protected by the power of God who guided us to victory," said Ncube.
KoNgwenya is an apostolic sect based in Pumula South which was founded by Thabiso Ngwenya.
Ngwenya, better known as "Mabomber", is famous for his bottle act in which his congregants bring bottles filled with water which he shakes and smashes to the ground as a solution to problems.
A number of prominent people have thronged Ngwenya's shrine since 2006/7 as they seek his help for success in their marriages, businesses and cures for various ailments.
How Mine's assistant coach Simba Rusike, a proud member of AFM church, denied reports that it was juju that was found in their dressing room.
Rusike said they were not ashamed of what Caps United found in their dressing room.
"Let me tell you something, everyone is free to choose which church to belong to. My head coach is a mpostori and I belong to a pentecostal church AFM and since we are protected by God, really, did they think that by messing around with the prayers they were going to beat us?
"Our living God had already heard our prayers and we scored all our goals after they had broken into our dressing room," said Rusike.
When How Mine went for the break, they were a goal down but turned the tables around in the second half as they equalised through Warren Dube in the 54th minute before Menard Mupera scored what is arguably the tournament's best goal three minutes later.
Caps United went on to level the scores on the hour mark through Tawanda Nyamandwe forcing the game into a penalty shoot-out.
The gold miners went on to beat United 4-2 on penalties to set up a date with Highlanders in an all-Bulawayo final.
Rusike advised other coaches to spend their energy on planning and strategising for the games as well as seeking divine intervention before their matches instead of "witch-hunting".
Cases of use of juju or magical powers in the Premiership are rife with Harare City's coach Bigboy Mawiwi having been on the receiving end after being "baptised" with urine at some matches where fans believed that he had "barricaded" the goals.
Before How Mine's 1-0 win against Dynamos in the Mbada Diamonds Cup quarter-finals in Harare, Rusike was manhandled by DeMbare's marshals who felt he was staying behind on the field of play to plant some juju.
The Premiership chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele said they would only act after getting the match commissioner's report.
"If it is true that there was a break-in, then that is a criminal matter but I cannot comment any further because I was not at that game and we will be guided by the match commissioner's report on what steps we can take," Ndebele said.
Ndebele was out of the country facilitating a Fifa workshop in Uganda and only jetted into Bulawayo on Saturday evening.
Source - chronicle
