Demera out to break scoring records

By Nigel Matongorere

For any football striker to be prolific they need to be confident and at times selfish.These are some of the attributes which new ZPC Kariba forward Moses Demera has in abundance going into the 2018 Castle Lager Premiership season.

Demera spent the last season with Yadah FC where he scored eight goals in the league.

His goals were the reason why the Harare-based side managed to stay in the top flight when many expected them to go down.

However, Demera is one of the new faces that have been roped in by newly-appointed ZPC Kariba coach Godfrey Tamirepi ahead of the start of the 2018 season.

Tamirepi replaced Sunday Chidzambwa, who left at the end of last season after guiding Katuruturu to a 10th place finish.

“This is a good move for me and I’m already looking forward to the start of the 2018 season,” Demera told the Daily News on Sunday.

“I’m very optimistic and confident that I’m going to win the Golden Boot this season. My aim is to surpass the 17 goals that (Dominic) Chungwa scored last season.

“I don’t know how many goals I will score but my target is to surpass that 17-goal mark and hopefully get past 20.”

The lack of prolific strikers in the local game has been a hot debate in recent seasons especially after veteran former CAPS United forward Leonard Tsipa won the Golden Boot in the 2016 season with only 11 strikes.

The last Zimbabwe striker to break the 20-goal barrier was Norman Maroto with the defunct Gunners in 2010.

Since then, local forwards have not been prolific but Demera is convinced 2018 will be a different season for him.

“Since I arrived at ZPC, we have been working hard in pre-season and the coaches are pushing us hard to be in shape for the new season,” he said.

“Last season, I was getting into good positions and scoring but it was hard to play catch up with Chungwa especially in the second half of the season.

“He was scoring in almost every game while for me and my teammates at Yadah we were fighting hard to avoid relegation.

“In that situation when you are fighting against relegation, the pressure is just immense and I think it weighed me down in terms of scoring.

“This season I want to make sure that we have a good start at ZPC and we will be fighting for titles towards the end of the season and not against relegation.”

Kauya Katuruturu, who missed the title by a whisker in their maiden season in the top flight in 2014, have bolstered their squad by making a number of new signings.

Besides Demera, the Nyamhunga-based side has also brought in their former goalkeeper Takabva Mawaya, who had spent the last two years at Ngezi Platinum Stars.

Another of their former players Pride Tafirenyika is also back in Kariba after the expiry of his contract with Bulawayo side Chicken Inn.

The club has also been reunited with their former player Tsepo Ranthokoane, who was on the books of How Mine in Bulawayo.

ZPC have also roped in utility defender Ian Nekati who helped FC Platinum to win the 2017 title last season. Nekati’s contract with Pure Platinum Play ran out last December but the two parties could not reach an agreement for a renewal.

Former Tsholotsho winger Simba Gorogodyo is also hoping to resurrect his career with ZPC after an injury-plagued stay at DeMbare. DailyNews