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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
Premiership action resumes today with exciting week eight football matches lined up in the next three days countrywide.
Due to the national team’s 2015 Africa Nations Cup first leg of the first round qualifier in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on Sunday, Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matches were moved to midweek.
Competition in the league keeps on getting better with each passing week with clubs battling for the championship while others already fear the prospect of fighting against relegation as the season wears on.
The City of Kings will have three pulsating encounters with Bantu Rovers taking on Chicken Inn at Luveve Stadium this afternoon while How Mine will be home at the same venue tomorrow to former champions Caps United.
On Thursday, Bulawayo giants Highlanders who are on “Operation Restore Glory” are at home to log anchors Harare City.
Only three points separate Bantu Rovers and Chicken Inn who will be involved in a Bulawayo derby. Tshintsha Guluva are sitting on a precarious 12th position on the table with six points from seven matches, registering wins against How Mine in the first Bulawayo derby and Chapungu.
The Premiership returnees go into the match having gone for more than 270 hours without a victory.
On the other hand, Chicken Inn are on position 10 having amassed nine points and just like their opponents, they are coming from a 1-2 defeat to How Mine.
“Derbies are always difficult but I think this one is going to be an open game. Both teams want to win having suffered defeats in their last matches. Obviously we want to improve on our results and what we need is to have the guys giving more than 100 percent,” Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas said.
The Gamecocks could be without captain Danny “Deco” Phiri who has been in Tanzania on national duty and was expected to arrive in Harare last night.
In his absence they have Brian Juru and Thabani Goredema who can be deployed to the defensive midfield role.
On the offensive side of the midfield, Antipas can unleash Clemence Matawu, Cabby Kamhapa, Canaan Nkomo or Bhekimpilo Ncube with Tendai “Kid” Mukambi, Mkhokheli Dube and George Majika fighting for attacking slots.
On the other hand, Bantu Rovers who are aware that a defeat will further push them into the murky relegation waters even at this early stage remain resolute that they are not in any danger even though they are tied with Black Rhinos who are on position 13 and are a point above second from the bottom Triangle and Chiredzi.
“The game against Chicken Inn is not a must win but we are preparing in a way that we get maximum points. We have gone for three games without picking a point and it happens in football but we are not panicking at all. We have a good squad which is a mixture of experience and youth who are beginning to gel. It is our hope that we will start picking points soon starting with this tough derby against Chicken Inn,” Mandla Mpofu, the Bantu Rovers assistant coach said.
Players expected to guide them against Chicken Inn include ex-Gamecocks defender Zephaniah Ngodzo, fringe national team midfielder Nqobizitha Masuku, Fortune “Fokoza” Ncube, Lawson Nkomo, Patrick Mpofu, Sizalobuhle Dube and Obadiah Tarumbwa.
Bantu Rovers are pressed to win the game more than their opponents because they have a tough weekend encounter against Caps United in Harare.
The Green Machine will be hoping for a better trip to Bulawayo tomorrow, hoping to snatch something from How Mine who have won all their last four matches.
In their last visit to Bulawayo, Caps United were clobbered 4-0 by giants Highlanders.
Tomorrow also sees table-toppers Hwange taking their act to Gweru for a date with Chapungu who are yet to lose a game at Ascot Stadium.
Chipangano is tied on 14 points with second placed Buffaloes who take on Triangle at Gibbo Stadium tomorrow.
At the National Sports Stadium in Harare, defending champions Dynamos who were booted out of the Commander Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Charities semi-finals by Caps United face FC Platinum who beat Highlanders 3-2 on Sunday.
Fixtures
Week eight
Today: Bantu Rovers v Chicken Inn (Luveve)
Tomorrow: How Mine v Caps United (Luveve); Triangle United v Buffaloes (Gibbo); Chapungu v Hwange (Ascot); Dynamos v FC Platinum (National Sports Stadium); Black Rhinos v ZPC Kariba (Rimuka)
Thursday: Shabanie Mine v Chiredzi (Maglas, 1PM Supersport); Highlanders v Harare City (Barbourfields)
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