Tadious Manyepo — Sports Reporter
TAKUNDA Benhura is slowly creeping back to his best after a slow start to the season.
The Ngezi Platinum Stars striker stuttered in the initial stages of the current Castle Lager Premier Soccer League campaign, only getting off the scoring mark after four games.
His silence in the attacking third was not helping matters for the Mhondoro miners, who also struggled to pick up points in those opening moments of the term.
But the 24-year-old, who won the 2023 Golden Boot accolade after scoring 13 goals for the champions, has found him-self again.
He has now scored five goals, including a fine strike in the miners' emphatic 3-0 victory over Chicken Inn, at Baobab last Saturday.
The goals, coupled with his four assists, have also significantly helped the champions to climb up to fourth on the log with 24 points.
Only seven points separate them from leaders FC Platinum after 15 match days.
His five goals also mean that Benhura is now just two behind the leading pair of Lynoth Chikuhwa of Highlanders and Bikita Minerals' Evans Katema.
"As a striker, I derive happiness from scoring goals because that is my specific role," Benhura said.
"When you start scoring, your level of confidence also goes up and when the goals are helping the team to pick points, you just get to dream more.
"But my point remains the same. I don't want to hunt for individual glory. Before everything else, I am here to help my team achieve set targets.
"If I get the chance to score, I should go for that and if I should pass the responsibility to someone else, I will do that as long as that helps my team at the end of the day.
"I put the team before everything else. I always thrive to become as big a team player as I can and that's what I am simply doing. At the end of the day, seeing Ngezi Platinum Stars achieve huge stuff makes me feel even better."
Benhura won last season's tight Golden Boot race, which also had Obriel Chirinda and Moses Demera in close pursuit.
Both Chirinda, who was at Bulawayo Chiefs, and Demera, who was ZPC Kariba's chief marksman, are now Benhura's teammates at Baobab.
