Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO Chiefs coach, Nilton Terroso says he has been told of how Ngezi Platinum tend to water their pitch before matches, a gamesmanship most coaches in the topflight league have complained about, but have no control over.
Most clubs have failed to prepare well for the wet Baobab pitch and as a result have failed to adapt to the conditions.
Ngezi play their home matches at Baobab Stadium.
Bulawayo Chiefs travel to Ngezi Platinum this weekend and coach Terroso is not concerned about the pitch conditions on the day.
“I have been told that they water the pitch, but those are things that I cannot control. We went to Triangle and the grass was much longer than normal and very dry.
“We went to this one time and the National Sports Stadium had not been watered that day so it was the opposite to try and make the ball roll quickly.
“My personal opinion is that if it’s flooded and we can’t play then it’s a different situation altogether.
“Those are tactics that in Portugal we don’t use anymore. It’s about the 11 players on the pitch and who gets things to go their way on the way. I cannot lose sleep over things like that.
“When we get there we hope the pitch is up to standard for a professional league. I don’t have reason to think it will not be up to standard.
“We will just go there and try to impose ourselves in terms of the match,” said Terroso.
Bulawayo Chiefs have done well in the league and are in position 10 on the table having collected 36 points from 26 games.
They look set for their best finish with eight games to play. In 2018 they finished 13th with 39 points and ended the following season in the same position, but with 41 points.
They will also want to do well in the league’s top knockout competition.
They have a quarter-final date with Highlanders in a fortnight. – @innocentskizoe..
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