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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
CHIBUKU Super Cup finalists Bulawayo Chiefs will be hoping to register their first home win against Yadah this afternoon at Luveve Stadium and consolidate their top eight finish.
Chiefs, who take on Herentals in the Chibuku Super Cup final next weekend at Barbourfields Stadium headed into this weekend’s fixtures on position eight on the table with 46 points. They need a win this afternoon to secure a best season’s finish since their promotion to the topflight in 2018.
The Ninjas or Amakhosi Amahle as Chiefs are known are targeting a top eight finish. On their maiden Premiership season, Chiefs ended on position 12 and in 2019 they were 13 and in both seasons they amassed 41 points. This time around Chiefs have made an improvement, picking 46 points, five more than they did in the past with a game to spare.
But Yadah will not be an easy walk in the park for Chiefs who are facing them for a sixth time. In the last five meetings, Yadah beat Chiefs 1-0 and 3-2 in matches played in Bulawayo in 2018 and 2019, while Chiefs’ two victories were also on the road in Harare where they won 2-0 in 2019 and 1-0 in the 2021/22 first leg encounter. The two sides drew 2-2 on their first meeting in 2018 in Harare.
Yadah go into the final weekend of the season safe from relegation, sitting on position 13 with 37 points. Chiefs assistant coach Thulani Sibanda said they are ready for their opponents, with their focus being consolidating their top eight finish.
“We are prepared for Yadah and everybody is excited to finish strong. We know that we will finish either number eight or number seven. Finishing in the top eight is the first time since we were promoted to the PSL. This is an achievement on its own, not even to mention being in the Chibuku Super Cup final.
“Anything is possible with the Yadah game. We played them in Harare and fortunately we won 1-0. It was one of our memorable games in the sense that we beat them when we were two men down, when we had two players sent off. But we can take that to account going into this assignment, we have to fight,” said Sibanda.
Chiefs will have to do without utility player Kelvin Madzongwe who is serving suspension after picking up three yellow cards.
Sibanda said they will miss the leadership of Madzongwe, who he said brings stability to the team and is almost like a coach on the field.
However, the Chiefs caretaker coach said they have equally good replacements for Madzongwe who plays either as a central defender or defensive midfielder.
Skipper Malvin Mkolo is likely to partner either Kelvin Moyo or Ben Nyahunzwi at central defence, with Felix Moyo deployed on the right side of defence. Elvis Moyo or Tarisai Chikwende might be thrown into the left back.
Arguably Chiefs’ most consistent player this season and a contender for a place in the Soccer Star of the Year calendar Mthokozisi Msebe is expected to be part of the midfield that has Lucky Ndlela, Hughe Chikosa as well as Arthur Musiyiwa, with Perfect Chikwende and Obriel Chirinda leading attack. — Follow on Twitter @ZililoR
Online Reporter