adminRicky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
SOME Southern Region Soccer League clubs have lodged a complaint with Zifa Southern Region following a decision to move Ntabazinduna’s Week 17 home match against title favourites Bulawayo City to Luveve Stadium.
The clubs are arguing that moving Ntabazinduna’s fixtures away from their prison complex grounds would give City an unfair advantage since they use Luveve as their home ground.
The clash is set for July 25.
Zifa board member responsible for fixtures, Jabulani Chinyangarara, confirmed receipt of the clubs’ complaint, but said they received a request from higher offices to have one of their crowd pullers play as curtain raisers of a friendly game pitting Zimbabwe legislators and their Zambian counterparts on July 25.
“We then wrote to Ntabazinduna asking if they were comfortable shifting from their prison complex to Luveve for the City game and we’re yet to get their response. There is nothing sinister in having them play at Luveve if they so wish,” said Chinyangarara.
Besides Luveve Stadium being City’s home ground, other teams are also of the view that the municipal owned side should play at the dusty and bumpy Ntabazinduna pitch.
Most teams have struggled to collect maximum points at Ntabazinduna due to the bumpy ground.
Ntabazinduna is unlikely to move their game to Luveve as they would like to make use of their home advantage to close the gap on the leading pack.
The prison warders are sixth on the league table with 24 points; nine points behind log leaders City.
However, before they can start thinking about the City encounter, Ntabazinduna have to contend with Bulawayo Chiefs at Fairbridge this afternoon.
Last week, Chiefs escaped with a point at Ntabazinduna, coming from behind to force a 1-1 draw.
Chiefs are second on the table with 31 points and a victory this afternoon will temporarily take them to the top.
Should Chiefs draw, this will present City, who have a relatively easy game against Old Nic Mine at home tomorrow, with an opportunity to open a four-point gap.
Championship dark horses Casymn welcome Nust at Turk Mine tomorrow where they are tipped to collect maximum points.
The gold miners beat Nust 2-1 at the university campus last Saturday and would be out to complete a double.
Ex-Premiership side Bantu Rovers travel to Hwange for a tricky assignment against Technosphere while Makomo will lock horns with ZPC Hwange in a coal mining town derby.
Fixtures
Today: Bulawayo Chiefs v Ntabazinduna (Fairbridge)
Tomorrow: Black Boots v Trumus (Fairbridge), Makomo v ZPC Hwange (Hwange), Bulawayo City v Old Nic Mine (Luveve), Hwange Juniors v Indlovu Iyanyathela (Hwange), Mpumalanga v Amagagasi (Hwange), Casmyn v Nust (Turk Mine), Technosphere v Bantu Rovers (Hwange)
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