adminSikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
HWANGE Football Club are facing a serious defence crisis that will see them miss three members of their backline players ahead of the Castle Lager Premiership match against Caps United set for the Colliery Stadium on Sunday.Chipangano will be without defence rock David Boriwondo who is nursing an ankle injury, Erick Chipeta who is away with the national team in Zambia for the Cosafa Games as well as Munyaradzi Mungaze who is on suspension.
Their opponents, as if to add more to their woes, welcome back veteran striker Leonard Tsipa, a man who together with Brian Badza literally tore apart the Chipangano defence in 2004 during the Charles Mhlauri’s reign when the Green Machine were simply in their own world. In that year there were stopped only by Highlanders.
Assistant coach Brian ‘Jah’ Njobvu, while acknowledging that the trio’s absence was a cause for concern, put up a brave face and said those that will be called to do duty will be able to put up a good show for the Hwange cause.
“The guys have been doing well for us but we can not mourn for long, we have to move on with the task at hand and with those we have. I have confidence in the guys that we will throw into action on Sunday,” said Njobvu.
He said they will have to juggle around with their players they will prove their mettle in the new positions.
On the presence of Tsipa in the Caps United line-up on Sunday, the veteran of many battles in the game laughed off and said as Hwange they will never lose sleep over that. He in fact described Tsipa as a spent force.
“He does not worry us at all, in fact we are not going to have sleepless nights as we believe he is an old and perhaps tired horse,” said Njobvu.
Hwange are sitting on a very unhealthy position on the log table with just 17 points from 16 games and need to maximise on their home advantage if they are to continue their dance with the big boys next year.
They have put up some excellent performance in some of their games. They have somehow found themselves grieving after 90 minutes having failed to utilise the numerous chances that would have come their way and it could be time to relive their emotional war cry; bhora nikushosha (football is all about scoring).
Timothy Sibanda and Gilbert Zulu two senior players in the squad need to rally the youngsters even when under siege and instill a sense of belief in them as the coaches have surely done their part so far.
Caps United coach Taurai Mangwiro hopes to continue with the team’s fine run of late even though they have not recorded a win in their last three away fixtures. They have also not lost a match in the process as they have drawn, including a gusty show when they were a man down against Highlanders last Sunday.
Makepekepe will be without four key men, national team duo of goalkeeper Tafadzwa Dube and Hardlife Zvirekwi, suspended Arnold Chiveya as well as Leonard Fiyado who lost his father.
Mangwiro though believes he has able replacements.
“I am sure we have enough arsenal in our team and like we have always said, if one is presented with a chance to play, he must prove his mettle in the team and this is one of those chances,” he said.
On the treble of draws, the coach said all they needed was self-belief and confidence and hoped that their fine form will not be disrupted by the coalminers.
“We obviously hope that we will get it right this time around and Hwange should not be the team to stop us,” he said.
Caps United have failed to score in their last two league outings while Chipangano have hit the net five times although they lost their last match to Harare City.
Meanwhile, Chicken Inn will be without four key players as they look to complete a rare double over city neighbours Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.
The Gamecocks will be without the suspended duo of Thabani Goredema and young right back Tonisani ‘Yeboah’ Sibelo while skipper Felix Chindungwe and hitman Tendai Ndoro are with the Warriors who take on Malawi in the quarter-finals of the Cosafa Cup in Zambian tomorrow.
Buoyed on by their famous 1-0 win in the reverse fixture, Chicken Inn are in a confident mood and had they been like the old Zimbabwe Saints who commanded some following in the city, they could have earned the tag, ‘noisy neighbours.’
Highlanders will be without leftback Bruce Kangwa due to suspension but welcome back gangly Dumisani Fazo Ndlovu. Kangwa will miss a Highlanders match for the first time this season.
In Beitbridge, Tripple B will continue their fight against relegation with a home match against Black Mambas.
They are favourites to claim maximum points under Peter Manoti who is determined to see Premiership football stay in the border town.
Fixtures:
Saturday: Tripple B v Black Mambas (Dulibadzimu), FC Platinum v Motor Action (Mandava), Monomotapa v Harare City (Rufaro)
Sunday: Shabanie Mine v Black Rhinos (Maglas), Chicken Inn v Highlanders (Barbourfields), Triangle v How Mine (Gibbo), Dynamos v Buffaloes (Rufaro), Hwange v Caps United (Colliery)..
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