Dzoro: Wounded pride as La Murambinda misses promotion despite perfect October

Deportivo La Murambinda’s dream of lifting the 2026 Pacific Storm Eastern Region Soccer League title ended in heartbreak on Wednesday, despite a 2-0 win over Buffaloes in their final game of the season.

The victory took Lovemore Dzoro’s men to 77 points, but it was in vain. On the same day, at the Heart Stadium, Yadah FC beat Masvingo United 2-1 to clinch the championship, moving to 79 points, two ahead of La Murambinda with one round of fixtures still to play.

La Murambinda will be on a bye in the closing weekend because their final fixture was supposed to be against Tongogara United, who pulled out of the league early in the season.

Speaking with Fanzone as he reflected on the season, head coach Lovemore Dzoro admitted the pain of coming so close, saying, “I will be honest with you. Yes, a little bit. We wanted the big prize. We wanted the league title for Murambinda. To be close and miss by two points hurts. But I will not let that bitterness take away from what this team achieved. We can be proud and hurt at the same time. That’s football.”

Dzoro was quick to pay respect to the new champions, saying, “Seventy-seven points is a championship number in many seasons. Unfortunately this season it was not enough. Congratulations to Yadah, they are champions and they deserve respect.”

The coach refused to blame one single match for the title miss, but pointed to the small moments that defined a 38-game season, saying, “I don’t want to point to one game, because a season is 38 games, not one. But if I am honest we look at the small moments.

“The two losses at home during the first half where we should have won, the away game where we conceded late. In a season that you finish 2 points apart, those are the moments that haunt.”

Head coach Lovemore Dzoro [in red] with his assistant Prince Tafirenyika following proceedings during a Deportivo La Murambinda match. Picture by Fanzone

‘WE MADE THEM FEEL US’ SAYS DZORO

Those moments were the two home defeats to Chivhu FC and Buffaloes in the first half of the season, and the late goal conceded against Masvingo United, results that ultimately proved costly in the final reckoning.

Despite the disappointment, Dzoro insists his side pushed Yadah all the way to the end, saying, “We pushed them to the last day. They had to win to win it. We made them feel us.”

“I can look my players in the eye and say they gave everything. We won our last 3 games. We finished with a bye, watching, hoping, but we had done our job. Sometimes you do everything right and the other team is just one step better. That is sport. The lesson is next season,” he added.

While the title slipped away, La Murambinda will finish the season as runners-up, and Dzoro will certainly find solace after dominating the Coach of the Month accolade, having bagged his third consecutive Coach of the Month award after winning the October award.

Dzoro won all five games in that period, collecting a maximum 15 points in a perfect month that underlined La Murambinda’s strong finish to the season.

Reflecting on the hat-trick of awards, Dzoro was quick to share the credit, saying, “To win three in a row, August, September and now the final one, is a huge honour. Personally, I am grateful. But this is not a one-man award.

“This belongs to the technical team, the coaches, the medic and the Team Manager. They are the ones who wake up early, who push in training, who execute the plan on the pitch. I am just the face of that work. Yes, definitely it is a reward for consistency from August to the end,” he added.

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