Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Fungai Muderere
CHICKEN INN FC head coach Joey Antipas has made an appeal to the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) to highly consider providing decent and adequate training grounds.
Antipas, a veteran coach, with other Premier Soccer League (PSL) coaches, is in the process of fine-tuning his squad ahead of the start of the 2025 season.
“Our preparations for the forthcoming season have been going on well. However, there are no adequate and decent grounds for us to do our pre-season training. I think the council must make available different and comfortable grounds. We have been conducting our pre-season training at Hartsfield B Arena, it’s so hard and players might get injured. Ascot Racecourse is hard but better than Hartfield B Arena,” said Antipas.
All the 18 PSL sides are in the pre-season period and former champions FC Platinum on Wednesday wrapped up their two weeks training camp in Bulawayo with their head coach Norman Mapeza expressing satisfaction with the team’s progress.
“We have been conducting our pre-season camps in Bulawayo since 2018. We found out that the atmosphere is comfortable and there is quality infrastructure. Everything has been going on well, it’s all about the physical part of football, of course we had some friendly matches but 99 percent was about the physical preparation.
“We were alternating between the gym and the pitch. The guys (players) are looking okay, we don’t have any injuries after having training games. It was not all about how the guys were playing, it was about how far we have gone with their physical condition,” said Mapeza.
FC Platinum played training matches against Zifa Southern Region Division One side Zebra Revolution, a club founded and coached by ex-Platinum player Mkhokheli Dube.
Green Fuel, who are under the guidance of Taurai Mangwiro, are in the City of Kings and Queens.
With a renewed focus on consistency and a bolstered squad, Mangwiro is determined to steer Green Fuel to a stronger finish in the upcoming season.
They made additions to their squad, bringing in a mix of experienced players and promising young talent.
Among the new signings are the Chikwende brothers, Perfect and Emmanuel, who are expected to add depth and creativity to the team’s attack.
Collin Mujuru and Ronald Chitiyo, joined from Nyasa Big Bullets of Malawi, alongside Marlon Mushonga from Yadah.
They recruited three new goalkeepers Frank Kuchinei, Ashley Rayners, and Victor Machopa from Bikita Minerals, as well as two young local players who impressed during trials.
Online Reporter