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Harare Bureau
CHICKEN Inn and Dongo Sawmill, who meet tomorrow afternoon at Vengere, will know the outcome of their abandoned match from the first round next week.
The match at Luveve was abandoned with the hosts leading 1-0 after the Chicken Inn goalkeeper’s coach assaulted the visitors’ team medic.
The Premiership disciplinary committee met on Wednesday to discuss the issue and yesterday PSL chief executive Kenny Ndebele said they were expecting the judgment next week.
Ndebele said the legal practitioners who sit on the panel had other pressing commitments and the process of obtaining police reports on what transpired on the match day also took some time.
The PSL boss said they were not expecting the return match in Rusape to be disrupted by crowd trouble.
“We expect both teams to behave. We don’t expect problems, we just had to follow procedure and the judgment will be out next week,” said Ndebele.
Yesterday Dongo Sawmill assistant coach, Dananai Chinowawa, said they will treat Chicken Inn with respect.
“We’ve been preparing for this game like any other match and we’re ready. Of late we’ve been winning at home and this match is a must-win so that we continue to pick points and improve our position on the log,” said Chinowawa.
“We’ll treat them well and we’ll not revenge what happened to us in Bulawayo. We’re football people and know the rules and the regulations.”
Joey Antipas’ men are eager to have something in the bag following a poor run in the last two matches where they picked only a point against Caps United.
Second-placed Triangle are now a point behind the leaders.
In Mutare tomorrow, Buffaloes will host FC Platinum still licking their wounds after a 1-4 drubbing at Mandava in the reverse match.
FC Platinum assistant coach Patrick Mandizha said they will not be complacent going into this match as they respect Buffaloes and their coach Saul Chaminuka.
“When we played at home we beat them 4-1 but that doesn’t give us the right to be complacent as we know that their coach has had enough time to study the team and work with it unlike the last time when he was just arriving at the club.
“If we get a positive result it’ll give us a boost in the championship race.
“In the second round we’re looking to collecting many points like last year where we also did well.
“I think our team tends to do well in the second half as the players would’ve gelled and adjusted to everything,” said Mandizha.
FC Platinum have a number of players sidelined by injuries this week but were boosted by the return of the Young Warriors duo Wisdom Mutasa and Walter Musona who were in Slovakia for trials for three weeks.
The team will miss Ian Nekati, who is serving his suspension after picking a red card against Chapungu, while Marshal Mudehwe, Russel Muduviwa and Wellington Kamudyariwa are injured.
Fixtures
Today: Flame Lily v Tsholotsho (Lafarge), ZPC Kariba v Triangle (Nyamhunga), Chapungu v Whawha (Ascot).
Tomorrow: Dongo Sawmill v Chicken Inn (Vengere), Hwange v How Mine (Colliery), Highlanders v Dynamos (Barbourfields), Buffaloes v FC Platinum (Sakubva), CAPS v Harare City (National Sports Stadium)
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