Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
AFTER suffering two consecutive defeats in the Zifa Southern Region Division One League, Zimbabwe Saints coach Reginald Buhali says they are not pressing any panic buttons yet, as they are in the process of building a team that will get them back to the topflight league.
Chikwata, as Saints are affectionately known, have won one of their three league games so far. They beat ZPC Hwange 2-1 in their opening fixture before losing 2-1 to Emakhandeni Pirates and 3-0 to Talen Vision. They take on CIWU in their next match at White City Stadium today hoping to bounce back to winning ways.
“We are still trying to build a team that can compete and will take us back to the Premiership, but all that is a process and it will take time.
We have taken on board a group of youngsters that are still trying to find each other. Our whole squad has players under the age of 23.This is to show the direction we are going. Our goal for this season is just to avoid relegation and we take it from there,” Buhali said.
“I am happy with the team we have. If you look at the two games we lost, it was due to mistakes. Most of these boys have never played in Division One and you can see there is an element of fear in their game.
However, that is something we are working on. Normally pre-season should be eight weeks, but we had way less than that, so you would expect the boys to be in better shape around game five and then we can start picking up points.”
In other matches, table toppers Hwange FC face rivals ZPC Hwange in what promises to be a thrilling derby. Hwange, who are also targeting a quick return to the topflight league after being relegated in 2019, have collected seven points from three games.
Hwange had a great start to the season, beating Emakhandeni Pirates 3-1 at the Colliery Stadium before blowing Indlovu Iyanyathela 7-1.
They were held to a goalless draw by Ajax Hotspurs in their third match of the season. The two Hwange sides met in the Wafa Wafa knockout competition late last year and the coalminers emerged 3-1 victors after a penalty shootout after a goalless draw in regulation time at the Colliery Stadium.
Division 1 fixtures
Today
Indlovu Iyanyathela vs Ajax Hotspurs (Luveve B Arena 3 pm), Makhandeni Pirates vs Binga Pirates (Luveve B Arena), Arenel vs Mountain Climbers (White City Stadium), Quality Foods vs Bosso 90 (White City Stadium 12 pm), Hwange vs ZPC Hwange (Colliery 3pm), Mainline vs Ratanang (Plumtree 3pm), Mosi Rovers vs Casmyn (Chinotimba 3pm)
Tomorrow
CIWU vs Zimbabwe Saints (White City Stadium 12 pm), Talen Vision vs Indonsakusa (Filabusi 3pm)
-@innocentskizoe
Online Reporter