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Tonderai Mtatabikwa
Sports Reporter
CRANBORNE Bullets coach Nesbert ”Yabo” Saruchera says the army side are planning to upset champions FC Platinum when they meet in a Castle Lager Premiership football match at Mandava this afternoon.
However, Saruchera admitted yesterday that it is not going to be an easy task playing against the four-time champions, especially at their backyard.
The soldiers nonetheless believe they are prepared well despite losing the season-opener 1-0 to sister club Black Rhinos last Monday.
“It’s not going to be easy as we will be playing away from home but we have managed to prepare enough, so we are ready for them.
“Our fans should always come to watch us as we are playing some entertaining football and it will help us get positive results”, Saruchera said.
He picked some positives from their defeat to fellow army side Black Rhinos, which he will bank on going into the match against the platinum miners.
Cranborne Bullets performance analyst Alvin Ndunduma also echoed Saruchera’s sentiments.
“We know their strengths as well as weaknesses since we lost to them twice last season. So we are planning to surprise them,” Ndunduma said.
FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza admits Cranborne Bullets are a quality side and he said his troops will have to approach the game with the same mentality they had when they played Simba Bhora last weekend.
”It is a very important game we are going to play on Saturday against Cranborne Bullets.
“They are a quality side. I watched their game against Black Rhinos, unfortunately they lost 1-0 but they are a quality side.
“It’s all about us going into the game with the same mentality we had when we went to Harare, with the same desire, with the same hunger so that come the end of day on Saturday we could be smiling,” Mapeza said.
He also ruled out complacency from all teams since it’s the early stages of the campaign.
“I don’t think any club will take any game with a casual approach. It’s the second game of the season so everybody is looking for points.
“The games we are playing at home are very important. We have to maximise our home advantage and collect maximum points,” said Mapeza.
FC Platinum had to come from behind in their first fixture of the campaign to beat the league debutants Simba Bhora at the National Sports Stadium last weekend.
Saruchera and his charges will have to turn around last season’s fortunes against the platinum mine even though on paper they continue to hold the underdog tag. Bullets crumbled 3-0 and 1-0 in last season’s PSL fixtures against the champions.
But the Hurricanes, as they call themselves, remain a tricky customer, especially when playing against the giants. They have managed to salvage two draws against Highlanders, lost once and won once against Dynamos as well as losing once and winning once against CAPS United in the league last season.
Online Reporter