Mwaruwari fires Pompey into Asia Trophy final

Mwaruwari fires Pompey into Asia Trophy final

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By Nkanyiso Moyo

WARRIORS captain Benjani Mwaruwari sent Portsmouth into the final of the Barclays Asia Trophy in Hong Kong when he scored the semi-final's solitary goal against fellow English Premiership side Fulham on Tuesday.

Mwaruwari's cool finish on the stroke of halftime was his second in as many pre-season matches after he also netted Pompey's solitary goal in a win against Eastleigh last week.

Portsmouth will meet Liverpool who beat Hong Kong giants China South 3-1 in a late game Tuesday.

The final is on Friday.

Mwaruwari, who joined Pompey for a then record £4.5 million pounds in January 2006, has been under pressure to keep his first-team position following the arrival of several new signings at Fratton Park.

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp has signed Nigerian striker John Utaka, Ghanaian international Sulley Muntari as well as Briton David Nuggent among others.

Last season Mwaruwari had to battle with Nigerian star Nwanko Kanu and Congolese striker Lomana LuaLua for positions.

Redknapp said he wanted strikers capable of bringing him a return of about a dozen goals each, which led to speculation that Mwaruwari could seek a new team as he had failed to go beyond seven goals in the one-and-a-half seasons that he has been at Fratton Park.

However, Mwaruwari has vowed to stay put and work harder at finding the net.

Pompey's new boys Sylvain Distin, Muntari, Herman Hreidarsson and Nugent all started in a 4-4-2 formation as Redknapp exhibited his preferred line-up for the coming English Premiership season.

The Warriors captain has already set himself a target of between 11-15 goals for this season and if the pre-season form is anything to go by, he might reach his target.
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