Blanket Mine’s Matthew Hlabati pushing to outscore PSL strikers in Munhumutapa Cup Golden boot race

With five goals in the ZIFA Munhumutapa Challenge Cup, Blanket Mine FC striker Matthew Hlabati says due to his team’s ‘hardwork and dedication’, he will leave no stone unturned to outscore Premier Soccer League strikers despite coming from a less fashionable league.

Hlabati has been the breakout star of the inaugural Munhumutapa Challenge Cup, leading the Golden Boot race with five goals, while also topping the scoring charts in the Central Region Soccer League with 18 goals in 28 matches.

He will look to extend his tally when Blanket Mine, who are unbeaten in 28 Central Region matches, host FC Platinum in the Munhumutapa Challenge Cup quarter-final at Luveve Stadium in Bulawayo on Sunday.

IT’S BEEN A COLLECTIVE EFFORT SAYS HLABATI

For him, it is more than a quarter-final. In fact, it is a chance to prove that form is not about leagues, it is about hunger. He said:

“It has been a collective effort. It has been due to hardwork and dedication. The team has supported me, the club has been our motivation. I have to give credit to my teammates and my coaches for believing in me and pushing me every day,” Hlabati told Fanzone.

“They have created the chances and helped me realise my full potential. I am just doing my job, which is to score.”

His form in the Central Region has been the foundation as Blanket Mine are unbeaten in 28 matches and lead the league by five points.

That ruthlessness has followed him into the Munhumutapa Cup where he has outscored established PSL names to become arguably the most impactful player of the tournament so far, despite coming from a Division One side. Hlabati is now dreaming of one thing: winning the inaugural Munhumutapa Cup Golden Boot.

“Scoring against a big team like FC Platinum and helping Blanket Mine reach the semi-finals would mean everything to me,” he said.

“My focus is to help the team achieve its mission of winning promotion and going far in this cup. What comes after, will come. But its not all about me, its about this team. We have been doing well as a unit.”

What may follow is a big move for the Blanket Mine forward. Fanzone understands FC Platinum are among a number of PSL clubs tracking Hlabati ahead of the January transfer window, with his background and work ethic cited as the reason for his rise.

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