ZB Life Emerge Champs

Invitee Steals the Thunder

ZB Life Assurance defied heavy odds to emerge the 2017 FSSL Paynet Cup Champions, after beating Old Mutual 4-1  in a penalty shoot-out on Saturday, 11 November 2017 at Standard Chartered Bank Sports Club. Being only an invitee and playing against more fancied opponents with a history of playing  the tournament, ZB Life were not expected to make that much of an impact but having gone on to beat a well-supported CBZ team courtesy of a solitary Victor Matare strike deep into the second half of their semi-final match, they will feel that they deserved their place in the sun.  Earlier, the other semi-final match between ZB Bank and Old Mutual had also been decided on penalties and had the former won, this could have set the stage for a ZB affair in the final.

An Unlikely Final

The unlikely all-insurance final featuring ZB Life and Old Mutual had to be decided through penalties after  the two teams could not be separated in regulation time. Despite the lack of goals, the match   was engaging, with both teams playing some crisp attack-minded football in an evenly balanced contest. The two finalists clearly knew each other well, having met earlier  in a Group D match which Old Mutual won 2-1.  For ZB Life, the final was therefore an opportunity to turn the tables on their fellow insurers.

ZB Life were the first to take their spot kick and went on to convert all their  efforts through Victor Matare, Trevor Zidoro, Saul Masaraure and  player-coach Tawanda Guma who had come in as a substitute. Old Mutual players donning jersey numbers 11 and 10  missed their team’s first two chances respectively while number 6 converted to make the score line 4-1, torching wild scenes of celebrations for the ZB Life team and their merry band of supporters.

The fact that only three of the seven matches of the knockout stages were settled in regulation time while the other four had to be decided through penalties suggests that  teams found the allocated  time too short to effectively deploy their tactics. It could also  be an indication that teams were overly cautious as evidenced by the dearth of goals, except in the ZB Bank vs Steward match which  saw  the latter conceding 8 goals attributable mainly to the fact that they  played with nine men due to challenges associated with player eligibility.

Invited Women’s Teams Impress

This year the 3^rd and 4^th place play-off was replaced by an invitational women’s match between Mufakose Queens and Mbare-based Cyclone Stars who curtain-raised for the men’s final. The initiative was meant to encourage women in the financial sector to take up soccer. The match was decided through a spectacular long-range lobbed effort by central striker Takudzwa Mupingo to hand Mufakose Queens a narrow but deserved 1-0 win. The gangly Cyclone Stars goalkeeper appeared to have the attempt  covered but was not to deny Mupingo what was widely acknowledged to be the best goal scored at the 2017 tournament.  For her daring effort, she  was  rewarded  with a special prize from FSSL Chairman Kudzai Kwangwari, which he however did not disclose. The biggest lesson from Takudzwa’ s goal is “do not be afraid to try.”

In appreciation of their entertaining performance, FSSL Chairperson Kudzai Kwangwari decided to hand each of the women’s teams the soccer balls that were meant for the men’s finalists. Former Mighty Warriors player Melody Mususa was one of the captains on hand to receive the ball and Shield on behalf of her triumphant team.

Awards Ceremony

Ian Zvoma, was the MC at the awards ceremony where individual and team accolades were handed out after introduction of the Payserv management team and speeches by the Payserv CEO Sibert Dube  and league chairperson.  Stephen Reuben of Old Mutual clinched the Top Goal Scorer Award  after scoring  3 goal while Privilege Chiteme of Old Mutual was the Goalkeeper of the Tournament. The Player of the Tournament was Victor Matare of ZB Life.

 MFSB Sport captured some of the action  at the tournament and shares some images:

• Mufakose Queens and Cyclone Stars pose for a group photo before their curtain-raising match
• Cyclone Stars Team Photo
• Mufakose Queens Team Photo
• ZB Life Players Line Up Before the Final
• Old Mutual Players Line Up Before the Final