adminRay Bande Senior Sports Reporter
TWO of Manicaland’s top-flight league teams — Buffaloes and debutantes Dongo Sawmills — might be in for rude awakening when they face defending champions, Dynamos and preseason title favourites, FC Platinum respectively in the opening round of the 2015 Castle Lager Premiership season. Interestingly, both teams will face the league’s defending champions inside the first three weeks of the season.
This year’s domestic top-flight league season was set to begin this weekend, but PSL deferred the programme to accommodate the Bob91 Cup finals at Rufaro on Sunday and indications are now that the league season might start towards the end of March or early next month owing to the delays in finalising PSL-Supersport broadcasting programme.
However, the top-flight league secretariat released this year’s fixtures late last week and debutantes, Dongo Sawmills open their account with a difficult away assignment against FC Platinum where they will count themselves very lucky to return home with a point and a victory at Mandava, though highly unlikely, would make a big impression of the Rusape outfit. In their second assignment, they will host star-studded How Mine at Vengere before engaging Dynamos in the third round of league matches.
Dongo Sawmills gaffer Shadreck ‘Father’ Mugurasave, who is basking in the glory of winning Premiership promotion for the second time with two different teams, has nothing against the set up of the 2015 season fixtures.
In fact, the former Buffaloes defender believes the fixtures are fair.
“It (fixture) is not bad at all. I think it is fair for us. We were going to face each and every team in this league, home and away and what only differs is the timing. All the same, we are excited with what we saw and we hope we will compete well,” said Mugurasave.
He added that his team’s main aim would be to survive relegation and any other achievement would be a bonus for his club.
“Our primary goal is to evade relegation and secure our place for yet another dance in the top-flight league next season. We will play for survival,” said Mugurasave.
His Buffaloes counterpart, Moses ‘Bambo’ Chunga, said he would not read too much into the fact that they would be facing the defending champions in their own backyard during the first round of matches.
“People will always say what they want, but we will play each and every team in the league including the defending champions. The opinion that it will be a difficult task for Buffaloes is a creation of the media. Go and ask Dynamos coaches whether it will be an easy start for them and you will get a different answer,” said Chunga.
The legendary gaffer also took a swipe at the delays in the release of fixtures by PSL saying it works against affiliate clubs’ efforts to plan ahead.
“It is sad that we are in the 21st century, but the way our administrators behave is as if we are living in the Stone Age era. The fixtures must be released in time and not wait until two or three weeks before the season starts.
“After all, we all know which teams will be playing in the Premiership next year by the end of this year’s season, so why wait until it is a few weeks before the season kicks off. Clubs need to plan ahead and fixtures will also help clubs in terms of budget plan. This is common sense, but somehow it is not common to all,” said Chunga.
Online Reporter