Alex Black Poison have swept into the final of the Maimane Alfred Phiri Games.

Across three knockout matches, the U17 side scored 15 goals while conceding only two, and now faces its fiercest local rivals, Alex Royal Tigers, in a derby final on October 10.

For a team that has led its league table from the start of the season, the run was no surprise. Coach Phathutshedzo Maseko said the plan was to carry that league mentality straight into the tournament, building preparation around what knockout football demands.

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“During our training sessions we focused more on attack and defence,” said Maseko. “We understood that a tournament is all about scoring a lot of goals and defending well.”

In the last 16, the U17 division team beat Loyo Stars FC 3–1. In the quarter-finals, they beat Mighty Heroes FC 4–0, and in the semi-finals, they saw off Norwood Young Stars 8–1.

Maseko said his side has not yet faced a tough challenge in the tournament. He credits part of that to home advantage at Alex Safe Hub, known to the club’s supporters as ‘the slaughterhouse’. Maseko said a large fan base helps, and so does the pitch, which suits the short-passing football the club loves to play. “It is not easy to lose games at Alex Safe Hub,” he said.

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The final brings a familiar foe. Alex Royal Tigers will want revenge after Black Poison beat them at U19 level, and Maseko expects them to come out fighting. “It is going to be difficult. We are expecting them to come hard, because they want to prove a point. We will play our normal game. They must worry about us. We don’t worry about them.”

Maseko said they are now turning their attention to the players’ minds. “We tell them to do what they have been doing from day one. We must not focus on the trophy and forget to play the match.
“We have lots of time to get all players mentally ready for the final.”

Maseko points to two strengths that set his team apart. The first is unity. He said most of the squad has played together since the U13 age group, a bond of five to six years. “We have a big brotherhood that is helping us to win matches,” he said.

The second is stamina. Many of the players feature in both the U17 and U19 leagues, which Maseko believes makes Black Poison the fittest team in the competition.

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