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Ricky Zililo, Sports Reporter
THE second half of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season kicks off this weekend with Bulawayo playing host to the country’s traditional Big Three – Highlanders, Dynamos and Caps United. Another bonus for city football fans is that the fiesta starts on Friday when rising Southern Region giants Chicken Inn clash with Shabanie Mine at Luveve in the first match of the second.
The City of Kings is likely to be painted in black, green, blue and white.
No doubt, the coming in of Harare’s two most followed clubs Dynamos and Caps United will draw lots of attention especially against the background of winning their last matches. It is likely that the stadiums will be packed.
Defending champions Dynamos will be the first to take to the field in Bulawayo when they do battle with How Mine on Saturday before Highlanders and Caps United square off 24 hours later at Barbourfields.
Both How Mine and Highlanders lost their last league matches to their weekend’s opponents a fortnight ago with the gold miners going down 3-0 to DeMbare while Bosso were beaten 1-2 by Caps.
How Mine who have gone for five matches without a registering a victory last won a league game in Week 10 when they beat Highlanders 2-1 at Barbourfields Stadium in a Bulawayo derby.
After that they lost by identical 1-0 score lines to Black Mambas and Chicken Inn, went down 2-0 against Shabanie Mine, played to a one-all draw with Triangle before losing 3-0 to Dynamos.
Philani Mabhena, How Mine’s coach conceded that after a string of poor results, the players’ confidence levels were low.
How Mine are on position seven with 21 points.
“I think in the last five games we dropped points that we should not have lost. We played well against Chicken Inn and Black Mambas and we should have gotten two points from those defeats. As for the Shabanie Mine game they used their chances. The reality of the matter now is that those matches are water under the bridge and we have to focus on the coming games.
“Obviously no player likes losing and their confidence levels are low so we have to work on their psychological aspects so that we move ahead starting with our coming game against Dynamos,” said Mabhena.
How Mine will have to do without three of their key players – goalkeeper Pedzisai Gumiremhete, defender Gilbert Banda and midfielder Thandazani Ndlovu for the DeMbare game due to suspensions after picking up three yellow cards each.
In the absence of Banda, either Brighton Dube or Brighton Choto will partner Hebert Dick in central defence with reserve goalkeeper Nonjabulo Dube starting. Timothy January is an automatic replacement for Ndlovu on the left side of How Mine’s midfield.
What makes the clash even more exciting is that Dynamos, third on the log with 28 points trailing joint leaders Chicken Inn and Highlanders by a point want to keep up with the title chasing duo while How Mine believe their next five matches will have a bearing on their campaign.
“We are still fighting relegation and if we win our next five games we will shift our goal from running away from relegation to eyeing a respectable finish,” said Mabhena.
Whatever the result on Saturday between Dynamos and How Mine, the Highlanders’ faithfuls who have seen their team losing three consecutive matches will be hoping that Bosso send Caps United packing.
Highlanders lost their last two league matches 0-1 to Chicken Inn at home and 1-2 against Caps United in Harare and at the weekend were knocked out of the BancABC Sup8r competition by FC Platinum after a penalty shoot-out.
Bosso’s last game at Barbourfields Stadium which in the past used to be a difficult hunting ground for visiting teams was a 1-0 loss to Chicken Inn and the Bulawayo giants are hard-pressed to return to winning ways.
Caps United will not be pushovers and Bosso must brace for a tough encounter.
Highlanders will be without central defender Dumisani “Fazo” Ndlovu, one of their most consistent players in the first half of the season and midfielder Peter “Rio” Moyo who will be serving suspension.
On the other hand Caps United will miss striker Tawanda Nyamandwe.
Caps United are on position five with 26 points and a victory will see them catching up Bosso on 29 points.
Suspended players:
Prosper Matizanadzo (Buffaloes), Obrey Chirwa, Ali Sadiki (both FC Platinum), Blessing Sande, Charles Mutero (both Motor Action), Tawanda Nyamandwe (Caps United), Brian Juru (Chicken Inn), Dumisani Ndlovu, Peter Moyo (both Highlanders), Munyaradzi Kunyarimwe (Shabanie Mine), Gilbert Banda, Pedzisayi Gumiremhete, Thandazani Ndlovu (all How Mine), Honey Chimutimunzeve, Ben Nyahunzi (both Black Mambas), Pardon Chinungwa (Triangle United), Ephraim Mwinga (Tripple B)
Log
P W D L F A Pts
Highlanders 15 9 2 4 26 12 29
Chicken Inn 15 9 2 4 21 14 29
Dynamos 15 7 7 1 23 10 28
Harare City 15 8 4 3 22 13 28
Caps United 15 8 2 5 21 11 26
FC Platinum 15 7 5 3 20 14 26
How Mine 15 6 3 6 16 19 21
Buffaloes 15 6 1 8 22 24 19
Black Mambas 15 6 1 8 14 20 19
Monomotapa 15 5 4 6 18 24 19
Hwange 15 4 5 6 14 16 17
Shabanie Mine 15 5 2 8 15 22 17
Triangle 15 4 4 7 16 18 16
Tripple B 15 4 2 9 11 15 14
Motor Action 15 3 4 8 12 21 13
Black Rhinos 15 3 4 8 15 25 13
Fixtures
Friday: Chicken Inn v Shabanie Mine (Luveve)
Saturday: Black Mambas v Triangle (Morris Depot), How Mine v Dynamos (Luveve), Harare City v Hwange (Rufaro)
Sunday: Buffaloes v Tripple B (Sakubva), Black Rhinos v FC Platinum (Rimuka), Motor Action v Monomotapa (Motor Action), Highlanders v Caps United (Barbourfields)
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter