Game of the weekend at BF, all to play for!

Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
IT’S all to play for in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League which enters its sixth week with table toppers Hwange taking on How Mine at Luveve Stadium, Bulawayo, this afternoon.The match will be broadcast live on Supersport.

Chipangano are two points clear of the chasing quartet of Highlanders, defending champions Dynamos, ZPC Kariba and Shabanie Mine who are on nine points from five outings. The coal miners are enjoying a purple patch and are one of the three clubs that are yet to lose since the start of the season. They have won three matches and played to two draws.

The other teams yet to taste defeat are Highlanders and ZPC Kariba.

Going into Week Six matches, the question is who of the three will maintain their unbeaten run as the trio is involved in tricky outings.
No doubt, the game of the weekend is on tomorrow at Barbourfields Stadium where old foes Highlanders and Caps United resume their rivalry in a season in which both sides are hoping to clinch the league title.

It’s all to play for when the country’s traditional giants clash at Bulawayo’s ceremonial home of soccer as Caps United trail Bosso, who are second on the log, by a point.

The Green Machine might be having some hope of getting a positive result at Barbourfields Stadium where Highlanders have twice surrendered a slender 1-0 lead to fail to bag maximum points in their last two matches at home.

Last Sunday Highlanders drew 1-1 with Hwange and on Thursday they were held by the same scoreline by Chicken Inn.

Tomorrow, Bosso will be without their coach Kelvin Kaindu who is in the United Kingdom for his coaching course graduation ceremony.
Also ruled out is midfielder Mthulisi Maphosa who is walking with the aid of crutches after picking an injury against Hwange,while striker Milton Ncube is subject to a late fitness test as he was pulled out against Chicken Inn with a leg knock.

Speaking after seeing his side draw with Chicken Inn, Kaindu was positive that his charges would bounce back tomorrow.

“Obviously the game against Caps United is a big one and we have to rectify the mistakes that we made today (against Chicken Inn). We just have to bounce back and we hope the supporters will cheer the team throughout the game,” he said.

Bosso have stood firm by Munyaradzi Diya who gifted Chicken Inn a priceless goal with sources saying the goalkeeper had a counselling session yesterday and was still failing to deal with his emotions, sobbing throughout the session.

He is likely to get the nod ahead of Njabulo “Popo” Nyoni and former national team number one goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda.

Captain Innocent Mapuranga might be brought back into the starting lineup to instill some sanity in the defence which was equally to blame for the goal Chicken Inn got.

The midfield where the battle is likely to be won or lost Highlanders has Erick Mudzingwa, Welcome Ndiweni, Kudakwashe Mahachi, Knox Mutizwa, Rahman Kutsanzira, Joel Ngodzo and Valentine Ndaba at their disposal.

Charles Sibanda, Ozias Zibande and a doubtful Ncube will lead their attack.

Caps United’s midfield is built around Hardlife Zvirekwi, Moses Muchenje, Dominic Mukandi, Tendai Samanja and Gift Phiri.
Bosso have to be wary of leftback Ronald Pfumbidzai who is dangerous when overlapping as well as striker Dominic Chungwa.

Meanwhile, Hwange go to their match against the gold miners a disadvantaged lot as they did not have a day to recover following their 1-0 win over Black Rhinos at the Colliery Stadium on Thursday, hitting the road yesterday and playing today.

The coalminers’ coach Nation Dube said they are going to try their best to get a positive result.

“The fixture is out and there is nothing to do. We just have to play and try our best to get something out of it. Obviously we would have wanted a day to recover but then this is out of our control,” Dube said.

The league has admitted to an error to have Hwange play two matches inside three days.

The PSL could not move the fixture to tomorrow because it has been billed to be screened live on Supersport.

PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele said: “It’s a mistake that we made and it’s unfortunate that it was discovered late. The match between Hwange and Black Rhinos was supposed to be played on Wednesday because almost all the teams that played that day are in action on Saturday. In future, we urge clubs to get in touch with our office once they identify such errors so that we rectify them in time”.

National team defender Eric Chipeta, Rodwell Chinyengetere, central defenders Gerald Ndlovu and David Boriwondo, Tafara Chese and striker Aleck Marime have been instrumental in Hwange’s campaign.

On the other hand, mid-table sitting How Mine have had a slow start but seem to be picking form following their last two victories against Shabanie Mine and Chiredzi.

“We had a slow start but things are beginning to shape up. Everyone is working hard and it seems we are on the right track. We were just unfortunate in the opening games because we played well but lady luck eluded us.

“Hwange are a good side and it’s not a fluke that they are at the top of the log and we have to make sure that we contain them and avoid conceding at all costs. It’s never good to chase the game so we will try to control what we can,” said Philani “Beefy” Ncube, How Mine’s coach.

While table toppers Hwange will be out to consolidate their top spot, the game of the weekend will be the epic clash between Bosso and Kepepe.