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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
PREMIER Soccer League coaches say they are ready for the big kick-off as the 2021-2022 season finally gets underway this afternoon, after a two-year hiatus.
Harare City and Herentals get the ball rolling at the National Sports Stadium in the sole fixture today.
The clash will set the stage for what looks like a gruelling marathon that is likely to run for the next 10 months.
City have exciting players like Clive Rupiya, Hastings Chapusha, Jerry Chipangura, Dinoleen Masukuta and youngsters Emmanuel Zinyama and Emmanuel Ziocha.
Herentals coach, Kumbirai Mutiwekuziva, said he was certain his men will compete well in the league.
“The Chibuku Super Cup was a very difficult campaign for us but a good one, in terms of rebuilding the team,’’ he said.
“I am happy that we started with the Chibuku Super Cup.
“If we had plunged straight into the league, it was going to be something else.
“If you look at the players we have in our current squad; we took most of them from our lower division side.
“They wanted more time to gain experience before they can compete in the PSL.’’
The Students have blended new players with the core of their squad which includes the Majarira brothers — Blessing and Brighton — fullback Wilmore Chimbetu and defender Gibson Chinobva.
Club owner Innocent Benza is also expected to play on this season, at the age of 49.
Dynamos coach, Tonderayi Ndiraya, wants his men to maintain the form which has seen them complete 11 games, without defeat, in the Chibuku Super Cup.
They play Yadah at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
“I think the way we are taking it is like we have started our league already,’’ he said.
“So, we have done Week 11 and we are going into Week 12 of the season. That’s how we are taking it.
“We want to keep winning games, we want to keep getting more clean sheets and moving forward.’’
Black Rhinos have an interesting date with Highlanders at the National Sports Stadium tomorrow.
“We have a new team, so we are still trying to make them understand the way we want them to play,’’ said Rhinos coach, Herbert Maruwa.
“Otherwise we are very ready for the league season.
“The Chibuku Super Cup helped us a lot in terms of fitness and to work on combinations. We had enough time to look at the players.’’
Cranborne Bullets coach Nesbert “Yabo’’ Saruchera is upbeat, ahead of their debut campaign, in the top-flight marathon.
They face Chicken Inn at Luveve tomorrow.
“We are very excited to be part and parcel of the domestic top-flight football.
“We were champions of Division One in 2019 but we had two years with no competitive football.
“The good thing is that football is back and we are very excited about that,’’ said Saruchera.
“The Chibuku tournament gave us the platform to familiarise, it was a good initiative from the organisers,” said Saruchera.
Three-time winners FC Platinum will begin their quest to defend their title at Mandava, against newboys Tenax, tomorrow.
CAPS United, who fired head coach Darlington Dodo, will begin the new campaign against ZPC Kariba, at Nyamhunga, tomorrow.
The Premier Soccer League said the league will break in December for the holidays and resume in February 2022, after the AFCON matches.
Fixtures
Today
Harare City v Herentals (NSS)
Saturday
FC Platinum v Tenax (Mandava), ZPC Kariba v CAPS Utd (Nyamhunga), Chicken Inn v Cranborne Bullets (Luveve), Black Rhinos v Highlanders (NSS), Ngezi Platinum Stars v Bulawayo City (Baobab)
Sunday
Dynamos v Yadah (NSS), Bulawayo Chiefs v Triangle (Luveve), Manica Diamonds v Whawha (Sakubva)
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