adminRicky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
TOPFLIGHT clubs have intensified their preparations by lining up a number of friendly matches ahead of the start of the Premier Soccer league season set for next month. Teams have been busy beefing up their sides during the off-season and last month most were working on physical conditioning. This month they are moving a gear up to try combinations in game situations.
Focus will be on How Mine who made a lot of noise in the transfer market when they captured big names who include 2013 Soccer Star of the Year Tawanda Muparati and Devon Chafa from defending champions Dynamos, joint 2014 season Top Goalscorer Charles Sibanda (Highlanders) and Limited Chikafa (ZPC Kariba).
The goldminers also lured goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya, again from Bosso.
Already, How Mine are pre-season favourites and will parade their stars on Saturday against Black Boots at the mine before travelling to Harare on February 14 to clash with Harare City, a day after squaring off with Chicken Inn.
“I need a minimum of seven friendly matches before our first league game to perfect our combinations. Already three have been confirmed and we will see who is available as time goes on,” said How Mine coach Luke Masomere.
Joey Antipas’ Chicken Inn’s only acquisitions are Mitchell Katsvairo formerly with FC Platinum, Edmore Chirambadare who was the Zifa Southern Region Division One Soccer League’s top goalscorer with 14 goals and David Temwanjira who they got from Chiredzi.
The Gamecocks want four pre-season matches.
“We have a full house and we are done with the signing of players. I want to play two games against Premiership clubs and two with Division One teams,” said Antipas.
It is highly likely that the Gamecocks will face three Premiership teams as part of their pre-season preparations with plans at an advanced stage to have a four-team tournament in Hwange.
Hwange FC administrator Khumbulani Mbano said they are rounding up modalities for a tournament that will feature Chipangano, Chicken Inn, Tsholotsho and either Amagagasi or Trumus of Victoria Falls.
“According to the programme and recommendations of the coach, apart from the four-team competition we are planning for February 14, we will play most of our games against lower division clubs. This is meant to build our players’ confidence and even afford coaches time to make whatever changes that they might want to do,” Mbano said.
Chipangano lost the services of fringe players Oscar Lungu and Richard Jongwe and have since replaced them with their juniors Gift Mbweti and Innocent Mucheneka who were competing in the Zifa Southern Region Division One Soccer League last season.
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