adminSikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
SEVEN players will miss the return of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League action this weekend after a week of inactivity due to national teams’ commitment.
The break saw the Mighty Warriors qualifying for the Olympics while their male counterparts are 90 minutes away from the Chan finals.
Action starts tomorrow with relegation bound teams Tsholotsho and Whawha getting the ball rolling at White City Stadium, while reigning champions Dynamos visit Flame Lily at Larfarge Stadium.
Flame Lily will be without Bright Chayambuka, one of the seven players suspended for this weekend’s action for accumulating three yellow cards, while DeMbare will have to make do without three players, Blessing Moyo, Rodrick Mutuma and Ocean Mushure, who are with the national team.
Mushure, however, is among the players suspended for this weekend’s league games and would have been ineligible to play even if he was not on national duty.
“Please, note that the player(s) listed hereunder have each accumulated three (3) yellow cards and will be suspended for one match respectively. The said player(s) shall not participate in their club’s match day twenty-six of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matches scheduled for the 24th October to 1st November 2015,” reads a PSL statement.
Also set to miss action are gritty Chicken Inn midfielder, who would have been a natural replacement for Warriors’ skipper Danny Deco Phiri, Thabani Goredema, Triangle’s Tichaona Chipunza, Chapungu United’s Tineyi Chitora, Dongo Sawmill’s Collins Dhuwa and Tapiwa Khumbuyani of How Mine.
Tsholotsho take to the White City Stadium turf tomorrow afternoon with a full strength squad eager to collect maximum points at the expense of fellow debutants and relegation candidates Whawha.
Iziqholo zeZhwane have charmed a number of neutrals with their flowing brand of football that has, however, failed to produce the desired results.
With Bulawayo City bidding farewell to the lower rungs of Zimbabwean football last weekend, Bulawayo football fans are eager to have as many teams as possible in the PSL, and they are likely to come out in their numbers to cheer Tsholotsho tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Tsholotsho have announced that they will wear black armbands in their match tomorrow in memory of Zanele Moyo, daughter of Tsholotsho North MP and patron of the team Professor Jonathan Moyo.
Zanele died under mysterious circumstances in her Cape Town apartment in South Africa last week and will be buried in Harare today.
“It’s only proper that we do that. Time permitting, the whole team would have gone to Harare for the burial, but our game is on Saturday so players can’t make it. Our president Mandla Manyathela and two executive members Sicelo Dube and Melody Ndlovu will now represent us there,” said club chairman Mlamuli Phiri.
A win by Tsholotsho will bring them level on points with Buffaloes, who enjoy a better goal difference over the Lizwe Sweswe mentored boys.
In other matches set for tomorrow, Harare City welcome troubled How Mine at Rufaro Stadium while Flame Lily, probably eager to collect maximum points, have dragged DeMbare to little Lafarge Stadium where a loss for the Glamour Boys will virtually leave the title race to leaders Chicken Inn and second placed FC Platinum. The two top teams come face to face at Luveve Stadium on Wednesday, the same day that crestfallen Highlanders make the short trip to Gweru for a duel with Chapungu at Ascot Stadium.
DeMbare dropped two crucial points when they were held by Harare City in their last league match and dropping more points would end their dream of a record fifth straight league title.
Dynamos are known to rise when least expected, and with a huge army of supporters behind them, a demolition act cannot be ruled out.
Fixtures:
Saturday: Tsholotsho v Whawha (White City Stadium), Harare City v How Mine (Rufaro Stadium), Flame Lily v Dynamos (Lafarge Stadium)
Sunday: Dongo Sawmill v ZPC Kariba (Vengere Stadium), Buffaloes v Hwange (Sakubva Stadium)
Wednesday: Chapungu v Highlanders (Ascot Stadium), Chicken Inn v FC Platinum (Luveve Stadium),
Sunday, November 1, 2015: Caps United v Triangle United (National Sports Stadium) SS
Online Reporter