daniel chigunwe
Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
THE Castle Lager Premier Soccer League is set for a busy period as the season heads into the last 10 games with midweek fixtures that begin today when Cranborne Bullets host Simba Bhora at the National Sports Stadium.
The league games are resuming after the Chibuku Super Cup games that took place at the weekend, with only the eight teams that reached the quarter-finals in action.
The organisers are also cognisant the league games would stretch up to the festive holidays after factoring in the remainder of the Chibuku Super Cup games and the two international breaks on the FIFA calendar in October and November.
The Chibuku Super Cup final has provisionally been set for November 14.
The tournament entered the semi-final stage at the weekend with giants Dynamos and CAPS United drawn to clash on the weekend of October 28-29. Black Rhinos and Ngezi Platinum Stars will play the other semi-final.
With 20 weeks of league matches remaining, the season could stretch well into December. And to avoid missing the time-lines, the PSL have lined up midweek clashes, which will see the continuous football action for the next three days.
Simba Bhora and Cranborne Bullets will get the ball rolling at the National Sports Stadium this afternoon. The Shamva side, however, are set to plunge into action without half a dozen of their key players, including inspirational goalkeeper Simba Chinani, Tichaona Chipunza, Tafadzwa Jaravani and Talent Chawapihwa.
“In terms of injuries, we are still missing some of our key players like Talent Chawapihwa, Tafadzwa Jaravani, Phineas Chikulupati, to name but a few,” said Ndiraya.
“Not just that, we are also missing some key players through suspensions. We are missing Simba Chinani who has been very vital for us this season. We are also going to be missing Tichaona Chipunza and Ishmael Nyanhi.
“These players have been key to our campaign this season. It’s a blow but I think we have got able replacements. The good thing is we can play around with our team and come up with a very competitive side for the day.
“So, we are looking forward to the other players taking up the reins and giving us what we are really expecting them to give us. So, we are good to go and ready for the match,” said Ndiraya.
Simba Bhora go into the match on the back of two wins against fellow PSL debutants Sheasham and GreenFuel, that eased their relegation worries. They also have a five-game unbeaten run, and this has helped them move four points away from the relegation zone.
Ndiraya said they are looking to revenge the 0-1 defeat they suffered in the first round. Currently, Cranborne Bullets are going through a lean phase after suffering four defeats on the bounce and anchoring the 18-team table.
“We are good to go,” said Ndiraya.
“The team is looking good, and the confidence is high among the players. In fact, the whole system is bubbling with confidence. Obviously, this is coming from our two previous performances, the two wins against Sheasham and then of course against GreenFuel in Chisumbanje.
“That has brought some more energy into the team and the motivation which is there is for us to go on a third game winning streak. So, we’re working on that and hopeful tomorrow (today), we can get that win that we are looking for.
“But we are not taking Cranborne Bullets lightly. We have got so much respect for them. If you recall they defeated us in the first round of matches.
“So, it is our wish that we can get revenge, so to speak, tomorrow (today). We want to atone for that defeat that they gave us. It was a painful defeat in the previous round of matches.
“So, we want to correct where we went wrong in at the first round of matches. We corrected some of the things last week and hopefully we can correct again against Cranborne,” said Ndiraya.
Log leaders Ngezi Platinum Stars, who are four points clear at the top, will host unpredictable Black Rhinos at Baobab tomorrow as Highlanders welcome new boys Sheasham at Barbourfields.
An exciting duel is expected between Manica Diamonds and FC Platinum at Gibbo. Ngezi Platinum Stars lead the race with 48 points, followed by Highlanders on 44 points.
Manica Diamonds are third on 42 points, followed by FC Platinum on 40 points. In fifth place are giants Dynamos on 39 points.
The Glamour Boys, who reached the last four of the Chibuku Super Cup following the win over FC Platinum at the weekend, will make the trip to Triangle on Thursday, looking to keep alive chances of winning silverware this season.
Dynamos coach Genesis Mangombe is confident of his side.
“I believe that this time around, the quality that is at Dynamos can go places if they are prepared to work hard. We have better quality this time.
“We have a two-pronged attack on silverware and we hope to go all the way in the championship race. We also feel that the Chibuku Cup gives us an opportunity to play in the CAF Confederation Cup which is very important for us. It is critical that we perform beyond our limits to be able to get results.”
Fixtures:
Today: Cranborne Bullets v Simba Bhora (NSS)
Tomorrow: Herentals v Chicken Inn (NSS), Ngezi Platinum Stars v Black Rhinos (Baobab), Manica Diamonds v FC Platinum (Gibbo), CAPS Utd v Yadah (Bata), Highlanders v Sheasham (Barbourfields), ZPC Kariba v GreenFuel (Nyamhunga)
Thursday: Triangle v Dynamos (Gibbo), Bulawayo Chiefs v Hwange (Luveve)
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