Antipas, Maruwa speak on Gamecocks , DeMbare tie

CASTLE Lager Premier Soccer League outfits Chicken Inn and Dynamos are set to meet in a potentially nailbiting Week 15 fixture set for Barbourfields Stadium on Saturday.

Coincidentally both will be away from their usual home grounds though Dynamos relocated to playing in Bulawayo last week, opening their account with a match against FC Platinum which was drawn 0-0.

The two antagonists are tied on 22 points. Both have posted five wins, seven draws and two defeats.
Gamecocks head to the match following their 1-1 away draw against the league’s newboys Greenfuel.

Harare’s beloved football club, Dynamos, will be embarking on a second trip to Bulawayo inside a week after playing host to Pure Platinum Play at Emagumeni, another spectacle that few football enthusiasts could have ever imagined, witnessing the iconic Glamour Boys, also known as DeMbare who have adopted Barbourfields Stadium as their home ground.

The decision to move to Barbourfields Stadium was born out of necessity as the lack of suitable stadia in Harare forced the football giants to move to the City of Kings and Queens.

This time around the Herbert Maruwa mentored DeMbare side will be away at their newly adopted base tied on 22 points with the Simbisa Brands sponsored outfit.

The Glamour Boys sit on position five courtesy of a four-goal superior goal difference compared to Gamecocks’ three.
Chicken Inn technical director, Joey Antipas has predicted a tough encounter.

“It’s a tricky big match for us. As a team, we are looking forward to a challenging task. We hope to do well against the country’s most successful club. Our players are getting into the groove and we hope for a positive result,” said Antipas, a shrewd mentor who has also coached the now defunct Motor Action to the championship and the Warriors to continental finals.

Maruwa has also predicted a tough tie reckoning that their opponents are always difficult to beat.

“It’s certainly going to be a tough match after meeting FC Platinum in another demanding tie. We hope to get something out of this game. Chicken Inn are a good, balanced side. This is a team that has proved to be difficult to beat at home, they will obviously come hard on us at our new home ground,” said Maruwa.

Rufaro, the cherished home of Dynamos, was condemned and shut down in 2019, rendering it unfit to host PSL matches. As a result, DeMbare and other Harare clubs had to share the National Sports Stadium.