PSL games resume next week

Sports Reporter
MIDWEEK Premiership matches resume on Tuesday next week, a day after the Warriors return from Tanzania with Bantu Rovers taking on Chicken Inn in a Bulawayo derby.
Due to the national team’s 2015 Africa Nations Cup first leg of the first round qualifier in Dar es Salaam on Sunday, the Castle Lager Premiership was forced to postpone all league games.

Bantu Rovers and Chicken Inn lost their last league matches to Hwange and How Mine respectively and both sides will be hoping to recover from those defeats.
Chicken Inn are likely to be without captain Danny “Deco” Phiri who will be the core of the Warriors’ midfield in Tanzania. According to national team manager Sharif Mussa, they will touch down at the Harare International Airport on Monday afternoon meaning for Deco to play he would have to travel by air to Bulawayo.

Bantu Rovers have all their players available.
In a telephone interview from his Harare base yesterday, the PSL competitions manager Elisha Mandireva said no team would be disadvantaged as they had been assured that the national team would be back on Monday.

“All games will go accordingly because the national team will be back on Monday meaning that teams with a potential of having at least three players on duty will be available. Dynamos and Highlanders are the only clubs with three players on duty and they will play their games on Wednesday and Thursday respectively,” said Mandireva.

Players on national duty from Dynamos are goalkeeper George Chigova, Partson Jaure and Stephen Alimenda while Bosso have goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya, Milton Ncube and Peter “Rio” Moyo.

DeMbare have a tricky tie against FC Platinum at the National Sports Stadium with third placed Highlanders playing host to log anchors Harare City at Barbourfields Stadium.

Highlanders will be hoping to continue with their free-scoring run at Emagumeni having dismantled Caps United 4-0 in their last match played at their favourite fortress.

The good thing for Highlanders is that they will be busy during the weekend as they are involved in the ZNA Commander’s Charities semi-final encounter against FC Platinum on Sunday.

Bosso coach Kelvin Kaindu indicated that he would rest some of his key players with knocks for the FC Platinum game with the hope of unleashing them when they face struggling Harare City who have only won one game out of their seven opening games.

Strikers Charles Sibanda and Ozias Zibande, Welcome Ndiweni and Simon Munawa are some of Highlanders’ players to be excused at the weekend.
Log leaders Hwange, tied on 14 with Buffaloes, travel to Gweru for a date with Chapungu on Wednesday. It will be an exciting encounter as the airmen are yet to lose at home since the start of the season and have even sent reigning champions Dynamos packing with a 1-0 win.

Another blockbuster game is on the cards for Bulawayo soccer lovers on Wednesday when How Mine play host to Caps United at Luveve Stadium.
The Green Machine had an awful trip to Bulawayo and will be out to avoid another embarrassing defeat in the City of Kings against the gold miners who have hit a purple patch going for an unbeaten run of five games. Caps United will make their final preparation for their Bulawayo visit against Dynamos at Rufaro Stadium on Sunday when they clash in the other ZNA Commander’s Charities semi-final match.

Fixtures
Week eight

Tuesday, May 21: Bantu Rovers v Chicken Inn (Luveve)

Wednesday, May 22: How Mine v Caps United (Luveve); Triangle United v Buffaloes (Gibbo); Chapungu v Hwange (Ascot); Dynamos v FC Platinum (National Sports Stadium); Black Rhinos v ZPC Kariba (Rimuka)

Thursday, May 23: Shabanie Mine v Chiredzi (Maglas, 1PM Supersport); Highlanders v Harare City (Barbourfields)

Week nine
Saturday, May 24: ZPC Kariba v How Mine (Gwanzura); Chicken Inn v Chapungu (Luveve); FC Platinum v Triangle United (Mandava, 3PM Supersport)

Sunday, May 25: Buffaloes v Highlanders (Sakubva), Hwange v Shabanie Mine (Colliery), Caps United v Bantu Rovers (National Sports Stadium), Chiredzi v Dynamos (Chishamiso, 3PM Supersport)

Monday, May 26: Harare City v Black Rhinos (Rufaro)