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The two teams clash in a potentially explosive Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Barbourfields Stadium tomorrow. Chilumba was responding to talk in the streets that if Chipangano wins and Harare giants Dynamos overcome Chicken Inn, they will top the log for the first time this season while a Bosso win would guarantee them top spot for a third week in a row. This follows the assault of Hwange coaches Nation Dube and Mebelo Njekwa by Dynamos marshals just before their league clash which DeMbare won 4-2.
“We are not coming to Bulawayo to do anyone any favours, we have our own objective as a team. This talk that we will make sure that Highlanders remain on top is nonsense, we are our own man,” said Chilumba.
He said it was indeed folly for anyone to suggest that his boys would throw the game to Highlanders as a pay back measure for what they did to their coaches.
It’s the only PSL match in the City of Kings this weekend as other city teams, Chicken Inn and Quelaton, are in the capital. Quelaton square off against Monomotapa at Rufaro Stadium today while Chicken Inn locks horns with Harare giants Dynamos.
Away from the football politics, Chilumba said their preparations went on well with just one player, Munyaradzi Mungadze, still out with a pulled muscle.
“We will rest him again but besides him we have a clean bill of health and are ready for Highlanders,” said Chilumba who on Thursday said that Kaindu was once his student.
High flying Kaindu, who has led Tshilamoya to their first ever best start since the Methembe Ndlovu era in 2006 in which they went on to lift the league title, acknowledges that he was once Chilumba’s student but it ends there.
“He was once my instructor in some of the coaching clinics that I attended back in Zambia and I respect him for that as well as a brother but when it comes to those 90 minutes, it’s a different issue altogether,” said Kaindu.
The former Zanaco of Zambia assistant coach, who was attached to Reading in England before coming to Bosso, said their preparations for the game, their toughest after the Monomotapa match whom they mangled 3-0, had gone on as normal and the boys were raring to go.
“For now it’s too early for me to say whether we will field the same team that played against Monomotapa but maybe on Saturday,” he said.
Kaindu though, is likely going to continue with his strategy of congesting the midfield probably because of a lack of a natural striker unless he brings in one of the juniors, Ozias Zibande or Mgcini Sibanda.
Peter Moyo, fluid Simon Munawa, Milton “Milito” Ncube and Heritein Masuku who played a blinder in the 3-1 defeat of FC Platinum, will join midfielder Mthulisi Maphosa in that area with 2011 Castle Lager Soccer Star of the Year finalist Graham Ncube playing as a lone striker.
Beavan Chikaka, yet to open his account with Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium, can also be thrown in as a lone shark upfront with Ncube playing behind him in the event of a change in strategy by Kaindu.
The defence is likely to be the same with skipper Innocent Mapuranga and his deputy, Eric “Airforce One” Mudzingwa taking care of any raids from the centre while the impressive duo of Atlast Musasa and Bruce Kangwa will operate from the right and left wings respectively.
Barring any training session injuries, Ariel Sibanda will once again keep goals.
For the coalminers, former skipper Gerald Ndlovu and his central defence partner David Boriwondo will have to be at their level best to shut out the marauding Highlanders players, not strikers, as any of the players can score.
Young Tonisani Sibelo on the right, so full of energy against weak teams, has to be careful when he makes his runs forward as that can expose the whole defence, including goalkeeper, Timothy Sibanda, likely to be selected ahead of Petros Mhari.
The tried and tested Gilbert Zulu and Farai Vimisai will probably lead the Chipangano strike force in their quest to make history by becoming the first club in 2012 to stop the seemingly unstoppable Highlanders machine.
Nkosana Siwela, another 2011Castle Lager Soccer Star of the Year finalist, can be a thorn in the flesh for any defender in the league.
Highlanders have beaten Hwange just twice in six meetings since 2009, the first of the two being a 3-1 win at Barbourfields Stadium on 3 November 2010 with the second coming last year at the Colliery where they won 1-0 after Hwange had shocked them by the same scoreline at Barbourfields Stadium.
At Rufaro Stadium, Chicken Inn, winless in their last three matches where they have collected just a single point out of a possible nine, will hope to rise at the expense of the Harare giants, themselves yet to reach their cruise level.
“We know Dynamos are also a wounded lion and if they have been beaten in Africa like they did, they normally want to come back and win everything in the domestic league,” Chicken Inn head coach Adam Ndlovu was quoted saying in one of our sister papers.
Like in their 1-0 defeat to Buffaloes at Luveve Stadium, the Gamecox will be without defence pillar and skipper Herbert Dick as well as midfield linkman Canaan Nkomo through injury while youngster Kudakwashe Mahachi is suspended for the match.
Fixtures:
Today
Black Mambas v Shabanie Mine (Morris Depot), FC Platinum v Gunners (Mandava), Monomotapa v Quelaton (Rufaro), Blue Rangers v Caps United (Gwanzura).
Tomorrow
Dynamos v Chicken Inn (Rufaro), Hardbody v Harare City (Ascot), Buffaloes v Motor Action (Sakubva), Highlanders v Hwange (Barbourfields).
Online Reporter