adminRicky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE commemorates 35 years of independence tomorrow, with the Premier Soccer League putting on hold its programme and joining the nation in celebration. Only four topflight clubs — Dynamos, FC Platinum, Caps United and ZPC Kariba — will be in action tomorrow, competing in the Independence Cup final and third place play-off in Harare and Bulawayo respectively.
For the other 12 Premiership clubs, the inactivity is a blessing in disguise as this will afford players with knocks an opportunity to shake off injuries.
Clubs like Highlanders and How Mine have had most of their key players sidelined through injuries.
Bosso, whose next game is an away fixture to Dongo Sawmills next weekend, have veteran midfielder Mthulisi Maphosa, striker Obidiah Tarumbwa, King Nadolo and Douglas Sibanda nursing injuries.
They also have Simba Sithole and Rahman Kutsanzira back and working on getting their fitness levels up.
Under-fire coach Bongani Mafu believes the unavailability of his injured players limits the scope of selecting a strong side.
He sees the Independence weekend break as ideal for his team.
“Surely this (Independence weekend) break is more of a blessing in disguise for us because we’ve got a number of players nursing injuries and maybe they might be available for our next game. As the technical team we would love to have everyone available and hopefully the boys will recover soon. Some are on the recovery path and are working on their fitness,” Mafu said.
The Highlanders gaffer will give an update on his team’s health during a Press conference to be held at the club offices on Thursday next week.
Bosso even turned down a request to play a training game with rivals How Mine behind closed doors to afford their players time to rest.
Just like Bosso, How Mine have most of their players sidelined through injuries.
The miners’ defender Nyasha Mukumbi and striker Godfrey Nguwodzawo returned from long layoffs during their 0-0 draw with Harare City.
The goldminers’ coach Luke Masomere is also sweating on the health of Devon Chafa, Gilbert Banda and Tawanda Muparati who are nursing muscle strains.
Muparati and Chafa are doing light training with Banda keeping busy with the physiotherapist and gym.
Ambitious Chicken Inn’s man-of-the-moment Edmore Chirambadare has a slight groin problem with their doctors also monitoring the severity of defender Lawrence Mhlanga’s injury picked up on national duty against Cameroon in Yaoundé.
“Eddie (Chirambadare) just needs a rest and I’m glad that we’ve a break this weekend. He has a slight groin problem but should be better for our next game. As for Dazzy (Mhlanga), the doctors are monitoring his progress,” said Joey Antipas, the Chicken Inn coach.
Chicken Inn take on How Mine in their next league match.
For Hwange coach Nation Dube, the Independence weekend break affords him an opportunity to work on his strategies.
The coalminers have not had a pleasant start to the 2015 season, something Dube says is due to failure to get competitive pre-season friendly matches.
“Besides the knocks that are we have, this break gives us time to fix our shortcomings without pressure. We never got the pre-season training we wanted because most of the teams that we played were not high profile or intense matches. Sadly we had to work on combinations during league games. Hopefully we would have sorted our things in time for the Chapungu game,” Dube said.
Hwange players recovering from the casualty ward are left back Munyaradzi Mungadze, Aleck Marime, Pritchard Mphelele and Phakamani Dube.
Premiership newboys Tsholotsho FC are not bothered with the break with coach Lizwe Sweswe saying he has a clean bill of health.
Meanwhile, two midweek games — Harare City-FC Platinum and the Chapungu-ZPC Kariba — have been slated for next Wednesday.
Due to their involvement in the Orange Caf Confederation Cup, FC Platinum’s Week Four fixture against Harare City was postponed to a later date.
A waterlogged Ascot Stadium forced the cancellation of the Chapungu-ZPC Kariba Week Four game.
Fixtures
Wednesday, April 22: Harare City v FC Platinum (Rufaro), Chapungu v ZPC Kariba (Ascot)
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