adminSenior Sports Reporter
BUFFALOES will once again play their home match away from home when they come up against Highlanders at Vengere Stadium in Rusape on Sunday.
The development comes despite considerable renovations that have been done on Sakubva Stadium in recent weeks, especially on the changing rooms, the perimeter fence, turf and the stadium’s environs.
The Premier Soccer League chairman, Twine Phiri, and competitions manager, Elisha Mandireva, came to Manicaland to inspect Sakubva and Vengere stadia two weeks ago and the duo condemned Sakubva before giving the nod to Vengere to host Premiership matches.
This forced poor Buffaloes to relocate to Vengere where they played their season opener against Triangle, which ended in a one-all stalemate.
On Sunday, Buffaloes will once again be on the road to play Highlanders at Vengere Stadium when they could have hosted the Bulawayo giants at Sakubva Stadium, only if the league management had returned to inspect Sakubva and seen the recent renovations done on the stadium.
Buffaloes’ spokesperson, Gladman Chimonyo, confirmed that they were ordered to use Vengere again.
“We have been ordered to play our home match against Highlanders at Vengere Stadium. This is despite the fact that some renovations have been done on Sakubva Stadium. Just like we pointed out, even when we travelled to Vengere to host Triangle, we strongly feel that this is quite unfair for us.
“We now have every reason to suspect that this is being done not for professionalism, but for reasons that are best known to those fighting to see us on the road week in, week out. While some people think they are fixing Buffaloes and the innocent people of Mutare, football is the biggest loser at the end of the day,” he said.
Interestingly, when contacted for comment, Premier Soccer League head of secretariat Kennedy Ndebele first professed ignorance on the developments surrounding the issue and latter noted that they were waiting for communication from the club for them to return to Sakubva to inspect the match venue.
“I don’t know anything about it. I am not aware about the set up of match venue for the match you are talking about. You can talk to the people that gave you the fixtures or Mutare City Council. But we are waiting for communication from the club so that we can do another inspection of the venue,” he said.
Match Day Three
Thursday
How Mine FC v Caps United FC (Luveve Stadium, 1500hrs SS);
Friday: Whawha FC v Harare City FC ( Ascot Stadium); Chicken Inn FC v Tsholotsho FC (Luveve Stadium); ZPC Kariba FC v Buffaloes FC (Gwanzura Stadium); Highlanders FC v Hwange FC (Barbourfields Stadium, 1500hrs SS); Dynamos FC v Dongo Sawmill FC (Rufaro Stadium); Triangle United FC v Chapungu FC (Gibbo Stadium):
Match Day Four
Sunday
Harare City FC v FC Platinum (Rufaro Stadium, Postponed); Flame Lily FC v How Mine FC (Gwanzura Stadium, 1500hrsSS); Buffaloes FC v Highlanders FC (Vengere Stadium):
Monday
Dongo Sawmill FC v Triangle United FC (Vengere Stadium); Chicken Inn FC v Whawha FC (Luveve Stadium); Caps United FC v Dynamos FC (National Sports Stadium, 1500hrsSS); Tsholotsho FC v Hwange FC (White City Stadium); Chapungu FC v ZPC Kariba FC (Ascot Stadium):
Wednesday
FC Platinum v Flame Lily FC (Mandava Stadium).
Online Reporter