Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE official countdown to the 2019 Castle Lager Premier Soccer season kick-off has started following the release of fixtures yesterday.
With fans having last watched topflight action in November last year, expectations for a tightly contested season are high.
As usual, focus will be on traditional soccer giants, Caps United, Dynamos and Highlanders, who command the largest following in the country.
Highlanders, who last won the Premiership title in 2006, have no respite in their opening five games, which will see them playing two of those matches in Harare and one in Bindura.
Bosso finished fifth in the 2018 season behind champions FC Platinum, Ngezi Platinum Stars, Chicken Inn and Triangle United.
The PSL’s biggest crowd puller starts its campaign with an away trip to Black Rhinos in Harare.
From the Harare trip, Highlanders will play host to a blockbuster against Caps United at Barbourfields Stadium.
The Matchday Two clash, dubbed as the first instalment of the “Battle of the Cities”, will probably be a hotly contested affair that will also be energy sapping for both sets of players.
On Matchday Three, Highlanders travel to the capital to face Harare City, then host Triangle United in Matchday Four before travelling 520km to Bindura for the away game against league debutantes Mushowani Stars.
The opening five games are tricky for Highlanders and are likely to shape their 2019 season.
Already, Bosso will start their season on a bad footing as their pre-season preparations have been affected by the strike. Coach Madinda Ndlovu had drawn a six-week pre-season programme, which has been affected twice, with two weeks wasted due to the players’ strike.
It is unlikely Bosso players will be in the best shape when the season starts, as they will complete their “pre-season” training inside the 2019 programme.
Last season, Bosso won four of their opening five games, including a 1-0 away victory over Dynamos.
They played to a 0-0 draw with Triangle United. Dynamos, who are almost done with the overhaul of their squad, will make the trip to Bulawayo on Matchday Three to play Chicken Inn.
DeMbare will be hoping for a better season kick-off compared to last year when they failed to register victory in their opening five games, suffering three defeats against Chicken Inn, Ngezi Platinum Stars and Highlanders, and drawing twice against relegated Shabanie Mine and ZPC Kariba .
This season, Dynamos start with an away trip to newbies Mushowani Stars, then host Hwange, travel to Chicken Inn, return home to host Herentals and then make the road trip to Gweru for a date against debutants, TelOne.
Caps United’s opening five games are a potential thriller against big spenders and league debutants Manica Diamonds (home), an away trip to Highlanders, Chapungu (home), Black Rhinos (away) and Bulawayo Chiefs (home).
Erol Akbay begins his tenure at Ngezi Platinum Stars against tricky Triangle United at Gibbo Stadium followed by Mushowani Stars (home), Hwange (away), Chicken Inn (home) and Herentals (away).
Ambitious Chicken Inn, who had a pre-season camp in Malawi, start the season with a home tie against ZPC Kariba, followed by an away trip to Yadah, Dynamos (home), Ngezi (away) and then play host to defending champions FC Platinum.
Chicken Inn beefed up their squad with nine players.
Defending champions FC Platinum head into the new season enjoying some momentum following their participation in the Caf Champions League group stage.
Competing in continental football will either make or break FC Platinum, as fatigue might strike their players, who didn’t have much of a break during the off-season because of the Caf Champions League. An advantage that FC Platinum might have is that their players have already gelled.
FC Platinum’s opening five games are as follows: Harare City (away), Triangle United (home), Mushowani Stars (away), Hwange (home) and Chicken Inn (away).
— @ZililoR.
Online Reporter
derick.khumalo