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Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
NEWBOYS Ngezi Platinum will get a real Premiership taste tomorrow when they host former champions CAPS United in a house-warming party at their newly-built Baobab Stadium. The team started life in the Premiership on a positive note when they beat fellow newcomers Mutare City Rovers with striker, Washington Pakamisa, among the scorers. Ngezi coach Clifton Kadurira said they were relishing the opportunity to parade their team in front of their fans against a big team like CAPS United.
The former CAPS United assistant, who once served in the Green Machine technical team under Zambian coach Fordson Kabole, believes it would be an interesting match. “We are prepared for the match and our first match helped with boosting the confidence of our players and we know it is a big match and it will be an interesting one and we will see how our players fare in such a big match.
“It is a good feeling playing at home in front of your fans and supporters are the 12th player and they will push us to put maximum effort in the game,” said Kadurira.
The lanky coach said they will not read much into the history of their opponents but will go into the match with a positive attitude. “They are a good team but we are prepared for them. We once worked together with Lloyd Chitembwe when we assisted coach Kabole.
“I also once assisted Moses Chunga at the club (CAPS UNITED) and in football you part to meet and we meet again on Sunday tomorrow.” Ngezi assistant coach Joseph Takaringofa is also a former CAPS United player while former Dynamos goalie Zondai Nyaungwa is the goalkeepers’ coach.
The team is not short on experience having acquired players such as former Dynamos midfielder Tichaona Mabvura, Young Warriors defender Liberty Chakoroma and former Monomotapa midfielder Daniel Kamunenga.
Kadurira believes they don’t have pressure in the Castle Lager Premiership where their target is to avoid relegation. Chitembwe said they should not underrate their opponents.
“The fact that they are a new team in the Premier League doesn’t mean we will go there and play differently from the way we have always played. “We will try and play the way we have always tried to play which is obviously trying to win the game. From a coaching perspective, I am sure we know half the team and we have worked with these players at some stage of their playing and coaching careers and they have also worked with us at some stage of their playing careers.
“We are quite familiar with each other and the players are quite familiar with each other,” said Chitembwe. Meanwhile, ZPC Kariba midfielder Wisdom Mutasa is expected to feature in this afternoon’s match against How Mine in Bulawayo after he was paid his signing-on fees.
ZPC Kariba coach Sunday “Mhofu” Chidzambwa said they want to play well away from home. “It is our first away match and we will try to play really hard and maybe get a result. Our opponents are not an easy team, they are seasoned campaigners. “We won our first match but it wasn’t an easy game even though we managed to get three points,” said Chidzambwa.
Online Reporter