admin
Action though starts this afternoon with four matches lined up in Bulawayo, Zvishavane and Harare.
Bulawayo outfit, Quelaton, who registered their first win at the expense of Harare City at Gwanzura Stadium last Sunday, beating them 1-0 through a Mhleli Sibanda strike, play host to Gunners, themselves 2-0 winners over a rather confused Caps United last week.
Free scoring Highlanders are on the road again for their third match in a row as they take on police outfit, Black Mambas, at Morris Depot today while FC Platinum whose coach Rahman Gumbo was thrown a lifeline during the week following calls for his sacking from supporters after a 3-1 home defeat to Highlanders, will welcome his former paymasters Motor Action.
All eyes will be on this match as certainly a loss will be so catastrophic for the Kugona Kunenge Kudada famed outfit’s technical bench.
The executive might have given him a vote of confidence but the supporters feel otherwise and had it been like in some teams like Highlanders, Dynamos or even Caps United where supporters are not necessarily employees, the heat could soon be turning on to the FC Platinum executive.
Fortunately for them, most of their supporters are general employees at Mimosa who can never dare to confront any member of the executive for obvious reasons.
Politics aside the match of the week is arguably the Dynamos and Hwange clash at Rufaro Stadium tomorrow.
The two teams enjoyed some mixed success in their midweek matches, Chipangano drawing 2-2 against Blue Rangers while DeMbare put their 6-0 mauling by Tunisian giants Esperance in the Caf Champions League second round first leg match behind them with a polished performance against Buffaloes at Sakubva Stadium that saw them register a morale boosting 2-0 win.
Even DeMbare coach Callisto Pasuwa admitted that the win gave back that much needed confidence to their players as some of them were clearly losing confidence. For Hwange coach, Nation Dube, that counts to nothing and their preparations did not at any time change from the usual drills simply because it’s now Dynamos.
“To us it’s just a normal game because no team is bigger than any in the league, at least according to our opinion and this match against Dynamos is no different, we prepared for it like any other,” said Dube.
He said their medical team was assessing striker Munyaradzi Mungadze who picked up an injury but was confident of making it through.
The team remained in Harare after their match against Blue Rangers in an effort to avoid suffering from travel fatigue.
Dube said his players were not losing sleep over playing in a packed Rufaro but said instead their players have been psyched up to silence Dynamos fans by displaying good football tomorrow.
The coalminers will call upon the battle-hardened defence of David Boriwondo and former skipper Gerald Ndlovu to contain any forays by Dynamos strikers likely to be led by Roderick Mutuma unless Takesure Chinyama starts as he was benched in Mutare before coming in as a second half substitute.
Hwange are well aware of the danger that Chinyama can inflict as he cut his Premiership football teeth at the Colliery outfit.
Hwange will not be the only team that will be worried by their opponents as DeMbare too are probably losing sleep trying to find out how they will contain the likes of Francisco Zvikumbawire, skipper Rodwell Chinyengetere as well as veteran striker Gilbert Zulu.
Log leaders Chicken Inn travel to Gweru tomorrow for a date with Hardbody at Ascot Stadium hoping to come out of the match still the leaders on the log standings. Their chairman Lifa Ncube has already spelt out their mission to the Midlands.
“We will try to come out of Gweru with the three points even though we are aware that Hardbody has been improving with each outing. However our boys are raring to keep the momentum. We can only maintain pole position by winning as you will notice we are only on top by goal difference hence we need to win,” said Ncube.
Fixtures:
Today: Monomotapa v Caps United (Rufaro), FC Platinum v Motor Action (Mandava), Black Mambas v Highlanders (Morris Depot), Quelaton v Gunners (Luveve)
Tomorrow: Dynamos v Hwange (Rufaro), Buffaloes v Shabanie Mine (Sakubva), Hardbody v Chicken Inn (Ascot), Blue Rangers v Harare City (Gwanzura)
Online Reporter