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Fungai Muderere, Senior Sports Reporter
BARBOURFIELDS Stadium hosts the 21st Bulawayo derby between Chicken Inn and Highlanders as the two teams face off in the first leg of the 2023 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League tomorrow.
It’s a Good Friday meet and it remains to be seen if Bosso will continue in their good form that has seen them dribble into the hearts of many or if Chicken Inn ovens can prove to be too hot for the black and white army.
Answer: The Good Friday menu scheduled for 3pm, where Barbourfields Stadium is expected to be once again packed and heaving, has all the answers for local football enthusiasts.
Following their 2-1 home triumph over defending champions FC Platinum last Sunday, Bosso will certainly march into the cauldron of Emagumeni with their tails up.
On the other hand, the Gamecocks are coming from an away 0-0 draw against army side Cranborne Bullets, a result that helped the former to whittle down the gap on early pacesetters Dynamos, Platinum, Bosso and Hwange.
While aura in the City of Kings and Queens is blowing in Bosso’s favour, the good news for Prince Matore’s mentored Gamecocks is that they have been the better side in this head-to-head in recent times, with Chicken Inn posting eight wins over Bosso in their last 20 league games played between the two sides.
In the period under review, Bosso have managed to get the better of the Simbisa Brands sponsored club three times and nine games have ended in stalemates.
Bosso managed to post their biggest victory over Chicken Inn on October 1, 2017 when they thumped them 4-0. For the Gamecocks, the biggest win over Highlanders was a 3-0 triumph on May 11, 2018.
From a possible 60 points, Chicken Inn have managed to collect 33 points to put them on a 55 percent success rate over the Bulawayo football giants.
From a possible 60 points, Amahlolanyama have managed to amass a paltry 18 points which translates to a 30 percent success rate over Matore’s men.
Chicken Inn have fired 26 goals past Bosso (14 home, 12 away) and conceded 22 to put the former at a goal difference of +4.
On the other hand, Baltemar Brito’s charges have scored 22 goals (9 home, 13 away) against the 2015 league champions, conceding 26, a development that leaves them on a goal difference of -4.
Going into tomorrow’s match after three rounds of play, both sides’ rearguards have proved to be mean. Chicken Inn, who are on an average of one goal per match are yet to concede after posting two 0-0 draws against Sheasham and Cranborne Bullets plus a 1-0 triumph over Simba Bhora.
Bosso have so far scored an average of a goal in every match.
They have conceded an average of 0,33 goals after drawing nil 0-0 with ZPC Kariba, edging Black Rhinos 1-0 away and beating FC Platinum 2-1.
Simply put, the preview calculator version of the two sides tomorrow’s game suggests that the odds are in favour of Gamecocks but aura is in favour of the latter.
Matore has thus conceded that tomorrow’s match is an immense one.
“It’s a derby, the boys know each other very well. It’s a big match where we will fight for bragging rights, status of who controls and is in command in the city. We will see how it goes,” said Matore.
His opposite number, Brito, has during the course of the week remained grounded.
“One day you are a star, the next you are the worst player. Now our main focus is that our team stays humble.
“As a coach, you need to teach the boys that they should stay humble because in football things can change quickly,” he said after the win over Pure Platinum Play. —@FungaiMuderere
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