daniel chigunwe
Grace Chingoma
Senior Sports Reporter
NGEZI Platinum coach, Rodwell Dhlakama, has challenged his charges to make full use of home advantage when they take on Chicken Inn in the first Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final at Baobab this morning.
The match gets underway at 11am.
Defending champions, Highlanders, and former winners, FC Platinum, will battle it out at 3pm today.
While all the other seven clubs are travelling from their bases, the Mhondoro side are enjoying home advantage, having played all their six group matches at Mandava, in Zvishavane.
“We had been used to travel for hundreds of kilometres for these games when we played all our Group Four ties at Mandava,’’ said Dhlakama.
‘’That sort of affected us, one way or the other but we, obviously, had to adjust, given we had to do that since the decision was taken, with the Covid-19 complications, in mind.
“We played very well, to qualify from that group, and we are ready for the match against Chicken Inn.
“This is certainly a tough game, given we are facing a club which topped their group, in Bulawayo.
“They managed to finish at the summit, in a group which had such good teams, including the defending champions, Highlanders.
“There was also Bulawayo Chiefs and Bulawayo City, which are equally good teams, when one looks at them closely.
“So, this is a very good team we are facing.’’
He said his men were ready and have home advantage to bank on.
“But, we are very ready, with a full complement of the squad,’’ he said.
“We are also playing at home, for the first time in close to two years, and that should drive us on.
“That there will be some fans to cheer us on, is also a plus on our part, and we need to play well.
“Certainly, we are very aware of the kind of threat, which is posed by Chicken Inn.
“They have a good coach and a good squad as well.”
Despite playing all their group games at their base in Bulawayo, Chicken Inn have been complaining over the choice of the venue, for their quarter-final. They felt they should have played at home because they topped their group.
Their coach, Joey “Mafero” Antipas, has been leading the chorus of disappointment and has since been fined by the PSL, for his utterances.
They have in their ranks former Ngezi Platinum Stars speed merchant Michael Charamba, who could return to haunt his former employers.
Online Reporter