Champs in make-or-break battle

Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
THE Castle Lager Premiership top-of-the-table clash between log leaders Chicken Inn and defending champions Dynamos at Barbourfields promises to be a vicious battle of wits between the coaches Tonderai Ndiraya and Joey Antipas.

Chicken Inn are in the running for their maiden league championship and Antipas this week made it clear that they are not prepared to drop points at this stage of the campaign.

DeMbare are facing the mammoth task to keep alive their quest for honours after they lost considerable ground in the race and slipped to third position behind FC Platinum who face lowly Tsholotsho at Luveve this afternoon. Ndiraya’s men are trailing the Gamecocks by seven points with the same number of games remaining.

DeMbare were hammered by the Gamecocks 0-3 at Rufaro when the league’s joint top scorer Edmore Chirambadare scored a double while Mitchelle Katsvairo weighed in with the third. But Ndiraya has been speaking tough ahead of this make-or-break clash.

“We are playing a very good Chicken Inn side with a very experienced coach in Joey Antipas who has won titles before,” said Ndiraya. We have a lot of respect for him but we want to win this match so we will put that respect aside and make sure we work very hard so that we get a good result.

“We have been in worse situations before and I think with the strong mentality the club has, not only the players but the institution as a whole, when we get to this moment of the season you can only rule us out at your own peril. We are a strong unit, we have the confidence and the team is playing well. So our chances are very bright.”

But Ndiraya will again have to do without some of his key players who include skipper Augustine Mbara, goalkeeper Artwell Mukandi and youthful defender Kudzanai Nyakasaka who are nursing injuries. There has been some good news with the return of Blessing Moyo who missed most of the club’s assignments this month because of national team commitments at the Africa Games in Congo.

“It’s still the same scenario. Those players are still out. They would need to go through some rehabilitation. Augustine had his plaster removed and so is Artwell Mukandi.

“They are now going through their physiotherapy and we expect them to start training in a few weeks time. But I’m glad that Blessing Moyo is back from Congo where he had gone for the Africa Games. That will give us a big pool of players to select from for this important tie,” said Ndiraya.

Antipas is expecting a full house, probably with the exception of midfielder Bhekimpilo Ncube who has been nursing injury a knee injury he sustained two weeks ago in the 2-1 victory against ZPC Kariba. He believes his players are ready to give DeMbare the fight of their lives.

“The players have been working hard at training and from the look of things their morale is high which is positive. The guys are not used to losing and they are determined to play and come out with a result,” said Antipas.

Antipas won his first title in 2010 when he finished ahead of Dynamos on goal difference while in charge of a modest Motor Action side. Chicken Inn skipper Danny Phiri said he was looking for a positive result to keep alive hopes of landing the league title.

Phiri is expected to play a central role in the match alongside veteran Clement Matawu, Thabani Goredema, Moses Jackson and the strikers Katsvairo and Chirambadare. Before the match tomorrow, the Chicken Inn coach and two of his players are set to be presented with monthly awards, which could be a morale booster to the team.

Chirambadare will get two awards for the Player of the Month for March/April and then for May while Antipas will be honoured for being the best coach during the month of May. Katsvairo was voted Player of the Month for August and will also be recognised. Phiri however told the club’s website that they would need to keep cool heads.

“It is going to be a tough game and the best team on the day will go on to win. It goes without saying that this upcoming game is crucial for the team because both teams are in the race for the ‘big’ silverware and it will need everyone to focus if we are to continue with our aim. The guys have been playing very well but these such games need the players to bring their ‘A’ game and l call for the guys to do just that although with level heads.

“It goes without saying that this upcoming game is crucial for the team because both teams are in the race for the ‘big’ silverware and it will need everyone to focus if we are to continue with our aim. The guys have been playing very well but these such games need the players to bring their ‘A’ game and l call for the guys to do just that although with level heads,” said Phiri.