adminGrace Chingoma
Senior Sports Reporter
NGEZI Platinum would be banking on their good away record when they meet former champions Chicken Inn this in a quest to maintain pole position in the Castle Lager Premiership race afternoon.
The Mhondoro side hasn’t lost a match on the road this season.
They have picked up nine points from five games.
However, Ngezi Platinum gaffer Takesure Chiragwi reckons it is going to be a tough match against the 2015 champions. He is also hoping that they would be able to maintain their unbeaten run.
They won against Manica Diamonds (0-1) and Green Fuel (2-3). Ngezi also managed draws in matches against Bulawayo Chiefs 1-1 and goalless draws against Triangle and Black Rhinos.
“Playing away from home is always difficult because there is a lot of changes playing away from supporters and family but what is important is a good team shows character if you are playing away from home and of late we are doing well playing away,” said Chiragwi.
“We haven’t lost a game away which is good for us, so we have to keep that momentum and that consistency of getting a result away from home which is good for the team.
“We just need to keep on pushing the players,” he said.
However, Chiragwi is worried that his troops might lose focus after the weekend’s big confidence booster against Fc Platinum.
“It’s just up there in the mind after you did well very at home so that can affect your performance but I believe in them but they know how it is to collect maximum points, they know how it is to have that consistency in terms of winning.
“We are also coming from a very good win, so we need to work on the players’ psychology after a very good performance.
“But we have to psyche them up because it’s a different game and team playing away from home so we need to keep working hard and focus to get a better result,” he said.
Chicken Inn have not been very consistent. They have the highest number of drawn matches. They have drawn twice and won twice. Last weekend, they lost to Manica Diamonds 2-0 at Gibbo. Before that defeat, they had picked their second victory of the season.
Chiragwi reckons they are still a good side.
“It’s a tricky encounter. Basically, we can just say it’s a good team, they have been together for a long time and have been playing good football despite the current results they are facing, it doesn’t mean that they are not a good team they are playing good football so it is going to be very tough, to be honest,” he said.
Ngezi shot to the top of the league after Highlanders and CAPS United failed to collect maximum points.
But Chiragwi is not reading much into that.
“No added pressure being on top of the table, the only pressure that you have in football is the same. You need to prepare your team to win and what is important is for you to focus on how you are playing, how would you want your players to improve, the mistakes they are making every game they are playing.
“Being on top of the log it has nothing to do with us.
“It is just a design of the teams, that is not important what is important is to keep on improving and collecting maximum points. It’s too early to talk about being on top of the table,” said Chiragwi.
Fixtures:
Today: Green Fuel v Black Rhinos (Gibbo), FC Platinum v ZPC Kariba (Mandava), Chicken Inn v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Luveve), Craneborne Bullets v Highlanders (National Sports Stadium).
Tomorrow: Dynamos v Manica Diamonds (National Sports Stadium), Sheasham v CAPS United (Mandava), Hwange v Triangle (Colliery).
Monday: 22 May: Simba Bhora v Bulawayo Chiefs (National Sports Stadium).
Thursday: Highlanders v Dynamos (Barbourfields), Herentals College v Hwange (National Sports Stadium).
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