adminNational Sports Stadium on Sunday.
But the Green Machine’s leadership believes points are more important, at this stage of the season, than gate receipts.
Their tie against Bosso had originally been set for tomorrow but has been shifted to Sunday where it will be dwarfed by the high-profile tie at Lafarge between Dynamos and Gunners.
Blue Ribbon host Hwange at Rufaro but it’s a safe bet that the biggest game in the capital will be in Manresa.
DeMbare fans have started trickling back to the stadium and last week’s 2-0 win over Masvingo was delayed by 30 minutes to clear the queues at Rufaro.
CAPS United, who are still smarting from a 1-0 defeat to Hwange, made a request to the PSL to have the fixture deferred by a day.
The Green Machine’s chief executive Maxwell Mironga said their club had been left with no option but to play on Sunday.
Mironga said playing tomorrow would literally be donating points to Bosso as the team would be ill-prepared for the tie.
“We have shifted the game to Sunday instead of Saturday.
“What happened was that we played in Hwange on Sunday and only arrived back in Harare on Monday night. There was fatigue among our players and they could not train on Tuesday as planned,” said Mironga.
CAPS, therefore, had their first day of training on Wednesday.
“The coaches were forced to cancel training on Tuesday and they only started yesterday (Wednesday).
“Unfortunately the game will be a counter-attraction to the one at Lafarge where Dynamos are playing Gunners. We had wanted to play on Saturday so that we also maximise on the revenue but it’s
not possible because we are now losing out on some fans,” said Mironga.
However, CAPS United hope that their hard-core fans will still turn up.
“This is a big game where we are playing Highlanders and we could still get a decent crowd. The charges have remained at US$3 for the rest of the ground,” said Mironga.
Sources revealed yesterday that the Green Machine officials were also not prepared to host Bosso at Rufaro tomorrow because they were concerned about DeMbare fans coming into the Bulawayo giants’ corner.
“One of the issues was the concern that Dynamos fans, who seem to be enjoying the fact that CAPS United are closer to relegation, would come in numbers and support Highlanders,” said the sources.
“The CAPS United leadership did not want to take the risk of having their players put under pressure by the combined efforts of the Dynamos and Bosso fans.
Fixtures
Tomorrow: Chicken Inn v FC Platinum (Luveve), Shooting Stars v Masvingo (Gwanzura)
Sunday: Gunners v Dynamos (Lafarge), CAPS v Highlanders (NSS), Blue Ribbon v Hwange (Rufaro), Zim Saints v Motor Action (White City), Shabanie v Monomotapa (Maglas), Black Mambas v Kiglon (postponed)
Players suspended for Round 22
Joel Ngodzo, (FC Platinum), James Jam, Brighton Tuwaya (Blue Ribbon), Tawanda Muparati, Milton Makopa (Dynamos), Suprine Muchabaya, Patson Sinamayi, Walter Mukanga (Masvingo), Michael Mageja, Simon Shoko (Shabanie), Munyaradzi Kunyarimwe, Pardon Chinungwa (Gunners), Innocent Nyoni, Lovemore Maphuya (Black Mambas), Benjamin Marere (FC Platinum), Osborne Mukuradare (Monoz), Chipo Tsodzo (Zim Saints),
“Of course, they will lose on revenue but to them they feel their players should try and win this big game in a relaxed atmosphere and money comes second right now.”
CAPS United coach Lloyd Chitembwe got off to a fine start on his return when his team beat Kiglon 2-0 but he came unstuck against Hwange at the Colliery.
It’s not going to be a stroll in the park for CAPS United who have already lost twice to Bosso this season.
During the first half, Gilbert Banda’s lone strike gave Highlanders three points at Barbourfields while he was on target during Bosso’s 1-0 victory in the BancABC Sup8r quarter-final.
A win for CAPS United will boost their confidence ahead of a trip to Zvishavane where they face FC Platinum.
Second-placed FC Platinum are not going to have an easy tie either as they face a stubborn Chicken Inn at Luveve.
Chicken Inn came away with a point from Zvishavane in the corresponding fixture as leaders Motor Action are playing their second game on the road when they meet Zimbabwe Saints at White City.
Last week, Motor Action held FC Platinum to a goalless draw at Mandava.
Fixtures
Tomorrow: Chicken Inn v FC Platinum (Luveve), Shooting Stars v Masvingo (Gwanzura)
Sunday: Gunners v Dynamos (Lafarge), CAPS v Highlanders (NSS), Blue Ribbon v Hwange (Rufaro), Zim Saints v Motor Action (White City), Shabanie v Monomotapa (Maglas), Black Mambas v Kiglon (postponed)
Players suspended for round 22
Joel Ngodzo, (FC Platinum), James Jam, Brighton Tuwaya (Blue Ribbon), Tawanda Muparati, Milton Makopa (Dynamos), Suprine Muchabaya, Patson Sinamayi, Walter Mukanga (Masvingo), Michael Mageja, Simon Shoko (Shabanie), Munyaradzi Kunyarimwe, Pardon Chinungwa (Gunners), Innocent Nyoni, Lovemore Maphuya (Black Mambas), Benjamin Marere (FC Platinum), Osborne Mukuradare (Monoz), Chipo Tsodzo (Zim Saints),
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