adminLEGENDARY mentor, Moses “Bambo” Chunga, will make his first ever appearance at Sakubva Stadium as the home team coach when he leads Buffaloes up against Triangle in a Castle Lager Premiership match on Sunday.
The match starts at 3pm.
Chunga, against all odds, barked instructions from the touchline at Hartsfield Grounds in Bulawayo against Highlanders in his first encounter in charge of Buffaloes and to his credit and that of the entire team, Watungwa Watungwa secured a priceless point after forcing a goalless stalemate.
The former Warriors captain told this newspaper that he was expecting to post his first victory in charge of Buffaloes and ensure the team achieves its objectives.
“We are looking at scoring more goals than our opponents and hopefully give us a chance to be successful in what we want to achieve. As a team, we have enough depth to get the results we want. We have the players who are capable of taking the game to our opponents. At the end of the day, everyone wants to be the winner and one just has to work extra hard to win.
“I hope Buffaloes will be the winner at the end of it all,” he said. Having spent more than one season in the Lowveld during his stint at Chiredzi FC, Chunga is aware of some of the strengths and weaknesses of Triangle.
However, the charismatic gaffer, who opened his account at Buffaloes with an impressive away draw against title-chasing Bosso, is not reading too much into his in-depth knowledge on Triangle ahead of the sugarcane growers’ clash against the Mutare side.
“I normally do not care what my next door neighbour is having for supper. I would want to work with the positives and negatives of what we have as a team, in our own camp.
“I will employ a game plan that I think will win the game for my team and what Triangle does is really not of primary importance to me.
“After all, everyone wants to win,” he said.
Buffaloes find themselves in a tricky situation in which they are not far away from both ends of the log table.
After amassing 30 points from 22 matches so far, Buffaloes are not safe from relegation and given that some of the teams below them on the table — like Harare City, Black Rhinos, and Triangle — are now collecting points for fun, there is every reason for the Mutare side to avoid dropping points, especially while playing at home.
That the Mutare side will face some title-chasing teams in their remaining eight matches, including one against Dynamos, further complicates issues for Chunga’s new paymasters.
With a 12-point gap between them and log leaders Dynamos, the Mutare side, however, draw comfort in that they are also not very far away from the team at the summit of the table.
Fixtures:
Saturday: Chicken Inn FC v Bantu Rovers FC (Hartsfield Stadium); FC Platinum v Dynamos FC v (Mandava Stadium); Harare City FC v HighlandersFC (Rufaro Stadium); Chiredzi FC v Shabanie Mine (Chishamiso Stadium)
Sunday: Caps United FC v How Mine FC (Rufaro Stadium); Buffaloes FC v Triangle United FC (Sakubva Stadium); Hwange FC v Chapungu FC (Colliery Stadium); ZPC Kariba FC v Black Rhinos FC (TBA).
Online Reporter