Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO City have set a target of retaining their topflight status when the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League 2021/22 season kicks off this weekend.
City were relegated from the PSL at the end of the 2018 season, spent a season in the unfashionable world of Division One and won the 2019 Southern Region Division One championship to return to the top tier league.
The league couldn’t take off in 2020 because of the global Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in all 18 PSL teams going for close to two years without league games.
Lovemore Dube, City’s marketing officer said: “Administratively, we’re ready for the Premiership. Obviously, when we won promotion at the end of 2019, the players were geared up for 2020. That enthusiasm took a knock because of Covid-19, but from what we’ve seen at training, during the Chibuku Super Cup games, the players are showing hunger to succeed. We’re going to compete and our target is to retain our Premiership status.”
City begin their campaign with an away trip to Ngezi Platinum Stars tomorrow at Baobab Stadium.
The opening five games, which are likely to shape their season, will see them hosting Manica Diamonds, travelling to Gweru for a date with Whawha, followed by a trip to Mutare to face new boys Tenax CS and then clash with Highlanders in their first derby.
City assistant coach Gift Lunga Jnr said they have prepared well for the start of the season.
He said for the trip to Ngezi, midfielder Welcome Ndiweni will have to pass a late fitness test.
“Our preparations have been okay and we’re now on week eight of pre-season, meaning we’re good to go. The Chibuku Super Cup games helped a lot in terms of giving us a glimpse of what to expect and measuring our level of preparedness.
“We’re prepared to compete and fight in every match. The boys are hungry to play and the youngsters will be complemented by senior players. We know that Ngezi are a good side, with lots of experience, but we’ve got confidence in our boys. In football, a team that wants it more gets the points,” said Lunga.
City will bank on captain Douglas Sibanda, midfielder Welcome Ndiweni as well as former Young Warriors striker Mgcini Sibanda.
Douglas is confident that they can spring a shocker inNgezi.
“We have a tough game against Ngezi Platinum Stars, who we can say are a big team in terms of the big names they have. That we’re playing against a side with a lot of experienced players self-motivates us. The guys are geared for the game, they are hungry to play the first PSL game and they want to prove to the ‘big’ guys that we can match them.
We’re looking forward to the game,” said Sibanda. — @ZililoR
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