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Eddie Chikamhi-Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER colleagues Norman Mapeza and Lizwe Sweswe are set to go head-to-head for the first time in pursuit of silverware as champions FC Platinum and Bulawayo Chiefs take the honours to kick off the long-awaited Premier Soccer League 2023 season in today’s Castle Challenge Cup at Mandava.
Kick-off time of the season-opening encounter has been set at 2pm.
The game, which features the league champions and the Chibuku Super Cup winners from the previous season, will pave the way for the new campaign which gets into full swing next week.
But the game is more important for both sides as the platinum miners are chasing a record fourth Castle Challenge Cup, which they have made exclusively theirs since its inauguration in 2017.
The Zvishavane side hold the distinction of having won all the editions of the tournament. But their coach Norman Mapeza told reporters that they are expecting a different challenge from Bulawayo Chiefs, who are now under the tutelage of his former assistant at FC Platinum, Sweswe.
“I cannot talk about all those things that happened in the past,” he said in reference to their Castle Challenge Cup record.
“We have been winning it, that’s it. This is a different ball game,” said Mapeza.
The Zvishavane side lifted the inaugural edition of the Challenge Cup when they beat Harare City 2-1 at Mandava in December 2017. They defended it in 2018 with a 2-0 win over Triangle United, again at Mandava.
The Castle Challenge Cup was not held in 2019 after the PSL resolved to shift the football contest, which from the onset had served as the last gig of the marathon, to a season-opening event.
FC Platinum faced Highlanders in the 2020 edition at Barbourfields and emerged 2-0 winners. Mapeza reckons the importance of winning silverware to kick start the 2023 campaign.
“Any football game, whether it’s a cup game or a league game, is always important. This game is very important for both clubs.
“I think Bulawayo Chiefs would want to win this for the first time and for us we also want to win this cup for the fourth time. It’s very important for us as an institution, as FC Platinum.
“What is important is the preparations that we have been doing in the last two months, we will see what will happen come Saturday, whether we have been doing the correct thing or we still have to add more work but it’s an important cup game.”
The Zvishavane side have maintained the core of the team that won the title last season with four games to spare. They added only three new players to beef up their stocks.
The platinum miners signed former Dynamos and Cranborne Bullets winger Jarrison Selemani, ex-Triangle United fullback Misheck Ngwenya and Perfect Chikwende, who is returning to Zvishavane after two years.
Chiefs, on the other hand, have been on a massive rebuilding process after losing the core of the team that won the Chibuku Super Cup and finished seventh in the league last season.
New head coach Sweswe finds himself back in the spotlight, with silverware at the stake against his former paymasters.
Sweswe has been battling to assemble a competitive outfit following a player exodus that claimed almost a dozen of the regular players.
“So far so good, but you know with the cup games sometimes it’s all about the players, how they turn up on the day and how they connect on the field of play.
“This is the first competitive game of the season for us and it’s important to win so that we boost our morale. It’s also good for our confidence,” said Sweswe.
Chiefs, who faced financial challenges towards the backend of the last season, were deserted by players such as the trio of attacking midfielder Arthur Musiyiwa and Moyo twins Elvis and Kevin, who both signed for Dynamos.
Veteran midfielder Kelvin Madzongwe was snatched up by the other Harare giants CAPS United while Lucky Ndlela and Ghanaian Wilson Mensah are now at Triangle.
Chiefs lost both goalkeepers David Bizabani, now with Premiership newboys GreenFuel, and Matripples Muleya to Triangle.
Pacy winger Perfect Chikwende has returned to FC Platinum and could be facing his former teammates today.
Amid the gloom, the club managed to retain players such as Panashe Ryan Shoko, Thomas Mudzengerere, Ben Nyahunzwi, Felix Moyo, Malvern Hativagone, Mandlenkosi Gasela, Mthokozisi Msebe, Billy Veremu, Malvin Mkolo and Obriel Chirinda.
As part of their rebuilding, they have roped in a number of replacements that include former Warriors midfielder Danny Phiri, striker Stanson Kanye from Division One side Quality Foods and Dalubuhle Dlodlo, who had a previous stint with relegated Bulawayo City.
Defender William Stima, who was released by FC Platinum after struggling to get game time in the previous campaign, mainly due to injuries, is also part of the mix.
Bulawayo Chiefs earned the Castle Challenge Cup ticket against four-time Premiership champions after beating Herentals 1-0 in the final of the Chibuku Super Cup last year.
The Premier Soccer League said the cheapest ticket for children in school uniform has been pegged at US$1 while the rest of the spectators will fork out US$2. The VIP ticket has been set at US$5 for the Challenge Cup.
Online Reporter