Online Reporter
Nkosilathi Sibanda, [email protected]
CHICKEN INN will start their home campaign this weekend without Luveve Stadium, the compact fortress that has long defined the club’s identity, forcing the Gamecocks to shift base to Barbourfields while renovations continue.
For years, Luveve has been the ground where visiting teams often struggled to breathe. The tight setting, the closeness of the stands and the relentless backing from home supporters turned it into one of the most uncomfortable venues in the league.
Chicken Inn lost only once there last season, a record that underlined how difficult it had become for opponents to walk away with points.
Now the Gamecocks must begin life away from that familiar nest.
The former champions host Triangle United at Barbourfields on Sunday after Luveve was dehomologated ahead of the new Castle Lager Premiership season.
Coach Tonderai Ndiraya believes the temporary relocation will not unsettle his players.
“As Chicken Inn, Bulawayo is our home,” Ndiraya said during a press conference in the city on Thursday.
“We must be comfortable playing at any venue in the city, even if it is Barbourfields or White City. Chicken Inn belongs to Bulawayo.”
Still, the coach acknowledges that Luveve holds a special place in the club’s identity.
The ground in the western suburbs has, over the years grown into a symbol of the Gamecocks’ fighting spirit. Visiting teams often found themselves squeezed into tight spaces and forced into mistakes by the relentless pressure that came with playing there.
That atmosphere is not easily recreated elsewhere.
“Yes, traditionally we play at Luveve but circumstances beyond our control meant we could not use the facility,” said Ndiraya.
“What is encouraging is the progress that has been made there. The city fathers are working hard to make sure the pitch is ready. We don’t know exactly when, but hopefully in a few weeks the stadium will be available again.”
Until that happens, Barbourfields becomes the Gamecocks’ temporary base.
The venue is hardly unfamiliar. Chicken Inn have staged several high-profile matches there in the past and the stadium remains one of the most recognisable football grounds in the country.
For Ndiraya, though, attention is already turning to the job at hand.
Chicken Inn began their campaign away from home last weekend and Sunday’s encounter with Triangle offers an early chance to settle into the new season.
The coach reported a largely healthy squad heading into the match.
“Preparations have gone well,” he said.
“Last week, we missed Brandon Rendo after he picked up a cold, but he has rejoined the rest of the team. At the moment, almost everyone is available, so we have options when it comes to selection.”
Triangle arrive in Bulawayo with enough experience to demand caution.
“We are not underrating them,” Ndiraya said.
“We have done our research and Triangle have a lot of experienced players in their squad. They are capable of hurting you at any moment, so we have to be very careful.”
Yet for many Chicken Inn supporters, the bigger adjustment this weekend will not be the opponent. It will be the absence of the small stadium in Luveve that has shaped so many of the club’s strongest memories.
For now, the Gamecocks must make themselves comfortable elsewhere in the city they still call home.
