Hwange go into derby without crucial player

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER Premiership side Hwange will be without the services of midfielder Innocent Ndlovu when they play against title hopefuls Makomo in a Southern Region Division One Soccer League derby this afternoon.

Ndlovu is one of the five players ruled out for the weekend games serving suspensions. The former Njube Sundowns and Amagagasi midfielder picked three yellow cards alongside Mossi Rovers’ Ndabazabo Ndlovu with the trio of Mosi Rovers’ Harrington Kapenyuka, Innocent Kaunda of NRZ Leopards and ZRP Bulawayo’s Nkosilathi Mlalzi missing the weekend games because of red cards.

It is the absence of Ndlovu that is likely to impact negatively on the performance of Hwange who are keen on maintaining their top spot and keep their title hopes alive.

Hwange have amassed 22 points from 11 games, two points ahead of second placed Tsholotsho and lead fifth placed Makomo by seven points. Makomo have played a game less than Hwange.

Both teams, Hwange and Makomo drew their respective games last weekend with the former sharing spoils away in Bulawayo against Indlovu Iyanyathela while the latter needed two penalty goals from Morgan Mungombe to draw 2-2 against newboys Toronto.

While Hwange battle it out with Makomo, Tsholotsho coached by Joseph Sibindi will be hoping to return back to winning ways following last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Moto Moto when they play host to anchors ZRP Bulawayo at Luveve Stadium this afternoon.

The game likely to draw an appreciative crowd is the Bosso 90 away encounter with Talen Vision at Gifford High School. With Premiership games on a break, Highlanders fans are expected to turn out in their numbers and cheer their development side which beat Dynamos in a #VisitZimbabwe match on Wednesday in Harare.

Draw specialists Toronto take on Mainline of Plumtree at Cresent this afternoon.

Fixtures
Today: Tsholotsho v ZRP Bulawayo Province (Luveve, 12pm), Zim Leopards v Indlovu Iyanyathela (Luveve), Mosi Rovers v Moto Moto (Victoria Falls), ZPC Hwange v NRZ Leopards (Hwange, 12pm), Casmyn v CIWU (Turk Mine), Talen Vision v Bosso 90 (Gifford, 12pm), Hwange v Makomo (Hwange), Toronto v Mainline (12pm, Luveve)
— @ZililoR