Katsande: “Football will punish you if you don’t take your chances.”

The fortress at St Paul’s Musami Stadium finally fell yesterday.

Grand Legacy Football Club suffered their first defeat and first goal conceded at home this season, going down 0-1 to Mutare City Rovers FC in a week 13 Pacific Storm Eastern Region Soccer League encounter.

For a Murehwa-based side that had made their home ground a graveyard for visitors, the reality hit hard.

In six games under head coach Willard Katsande, the Golden Boys had collected 16 points and built a reputation on methodical build-ups from the back and control in midfield.

That control was there again on Saturday. Grand Legacy played the better football, crafting openings with patience and rhythm. But as Katsande admitted afterwards, control without conversion counts for little in this league.

Reflecting on the loss, Katsande pointed to the ruthlessness required at this level.

“This kind of result will make you reflect after the game and say maybe the result will make us humble a little bit and to see how it is because the league is a marathon of which we wanted to maintain that 100% home record but football is a competition if you don’t take your chances the opponent will punish you,” Katsande told Fanzone.

He was right to focus on the missed moments. Midfielder Trust Masawi, Cabby Kamhapa, Munashe Nandolo and skipper Tatenda Makurumidze all came close, only to be denied by the heroics of Mutare City goalkeeper Allan Sidakara or by the frame of the goal.

Kamhapa and Masawi both struck the upright late on as Grand Legacy chased the elusive equalizer.

With no time to dwell, attention has already shifted to a quick turnaround.

Speaking on the road ahead, Katsande said, “Now we don’t have much time, it is back to the drawing board and prepare for the next encounter which is away at Africa Mineral Ventures FC.”

The trip to Rusape carries extra edge. AMV FC are now coached by Collin Chinyani, the man Katsande replaced at Grand Legacy before Chinyani moved east. That storyline adds a personal dimension to the midweek fixture.

Katsande is not shying away from it. In fact, he is leaning into the challenge. “It is going to be a tough one, more of a personal game but at the same time we need to recharge our batteries, sharpen our swords and get ready for the game,” he said.

Then came the rallying cry for his wounded players. “If you lose three points at home why not also get them away, it is how we apply ourselves, it is how we recover and redeem ourselves in this kind of situation.”

Grand Legacy may have lost their perfect home record, but Katsande’s message is clear: humility now, response next. The marathon continues in Rusape.