Chronicle Editor
Fungai Muderere, Senior Sports Reporter
A total of eight Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matches are lined up for this afternoon with Bulawayo football giants Highlanders set to square it off against TelOne at Barbourfields Stadium.
Both clubs are equally discoloured after they fell to Simba Bhora and Greenfuel, respectively.
However, TelOne will probably be tempted not to tell anyone what happened at Gweru’s Bata Stadium the last time they met Kelvin Kaindu’s black and white troops who thumped them 2-0 in a duel that was played on Fools Day.
“We are coming from a game (against Simba Bhora) where there were so many emotions and I think we should use those emotions to the positive when we face TelOne on Sunday. We need to focus again and seek to go back on track. We hope to come out and compete again and guard against complacency,” said Highlanders head coach, Kelvin Kaindu.
He added: “From the look of things, some will say it will be an easy game for us, but we will not need to dwell on the first leg result when we beat them (TelOne) in Gweru. We have respect for them, they are an unpredictable side.”
Going into today’s match, Bosso are on position five with 32 points seven behind log leaders FC Platinum who face Herentals at Mandava Stadium in Zvishavane.
Pure Platinum Play will be hardly pressed to atone from their 2-0 away loss they suffered at the hands of Chicken Inn at Luveve Stadium on Thursday.
It was Gamecocks’ first win over the platinum miners in Bulawayo and it was no wonder that the Simbisa Brands bankrolled outfit wildly celebrated after collecting maximum points from Norman Mapeza’s men on a 2-0 score line.
This afternoon, Joey Antipas, the Chicken Inn coach who has called for continued hard work and unity in their camp, will lead his charges for a battle against ZPC Kariba at Nyamhunga Stadium.
“We have to continue winning, we are in a rich vein of form. There is a need to keep working hard, positive results have been coming our way courtesy of hard work and as such we need to stick together.
“We will go into our clash against ZPC Kariba with all the confidence, but we know it is going to be a tough match. ZPC Kariba are a hard nut to crack, especially when they are playing at home but we need another good result,” said Antipas.
Mutare’s Sakubva Stadium will probably draw a large crowd when last season’s second runners up Manica Diamonds welcome the league’s defending champions, Ngezi Platinum Stars.
Manica Diamonds coach, Jairos Tapera, whose team has been dropping crucial points of late because of a number of draws the latest being the nil all stalemate they played against Chegutu Pirates, has predicted a demanding swordfight.
“We have had too many draws but we are still here to compete as there will certainly be some twists and turns along the way. We need to just keep focused, keep pressing and with regards to our game against Ngezi, I think it is going to be a big one. It will be a tough match,” said Tapera.
After posting two defeats on the bounce against Highlanders and Hwange, Bulawayo Chiefs take on Yadah Stars at Heart Stadium while Dynamos fight it out against Bikita Minerals at Rufaro Stadium.
Hwange have a home tie against Simba Bhora at Colliery Stadium. Greenfuel will lock horns with loud PSL newbies Chegutu Pirates at the Greenfuel Arena. – @FungaiMuderere.
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