BY HENRY MHARA
HERENTALS Under-20 coach Paul Benza said his side is yet to reach its full potential after the team came from behind to beat Black Mambas 2-1 in the Zifa Northern Region Division One top of the table clash at Morris Depot on Saturday.
Silas Azeti’s 39th minute goal cancelled out a Mambas eighth minute strike, before Tanaka Dhlakama secured all the three points for Herentals with six minutes remaining in the match.
The victory ensured that Benza’s men maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign with four wins from the five games played to move to the top of the log.
“We are enjoying very good form, and beating Black Mambas, who were the log leaders before the weekend, and also title contenders, will give my boys a lot of confidence going forward. To come from behind also showed character. These are young players who are trying hard, and people should expect more good things from this project,” Benza said.
Herentals Under-20 team is a feeder club to Castle Lager Premier Soccer League side Herentals. Benza believes that the team has shown signs that they can win the second tier division, which comes with a ticket to league promotion.
“Our team is a developmental side and even if we win the league, it’s highly unlikely that we will have two teams in the league. But it will be up to the executive to decide. Our focus is mainly development and we are aiming to finish in the top four, and improve from our last season position when we finished sixth,” he said.
Next up for Benza’s team is another tough clash against second-placed Cranborne Bullets, who are also yet to lose a match. They walloped FC National Mbare 3-0 at the weekend.
Harare City Cubs, another feeder club for a league team Harare City, have also enjoyed a good start to the campaign, and their 1-1 draw with Black Tigers ensured they kept their unbeaten run intact.
Northern Region Division One week 5 results
PAM United 0-1 Golden Valley, FC National Mbare 0-3 Cranborne Bullets, Herentals U-20 2-1 Black Mambas, Harare City Cubs 1-1 Black Tigers, Karoi United 1-1 Cam and Motor, Blue Swallows 3-2 Banket United, Chegutu Pirates 1-1 Blue Jets, Ngezi Platinum U-19 2-0 Grain Tigers, Beta XI 2-0 Kariba Waves
