The Sunday Mail
Bongani Mafu
Langton Nyakwenda – Sports Reporter
DYNAMOS’ quest to close the gap at the top could hit a snag at the Colliery, Kelvin Kaindu makes an emotional return to Barbourfields, and log leaders Chicken Inn land in Harare as the first half of the 2015 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League concludes this afternoon.
With controversy still swirling from last week’s 3-2 victory over traditional rivals Highlanders, DeMbare are in for another daunting test in Hwange.
The champions are three points behind leaders Chicken Inn and are desperate for a win but it won’t be an easy job at the Colliery where the champions have not won in the past two seasons.
Last season, DeMbare lost 0-1 and the previous year Hwange hammered them 4-2.
Chipangano are yet to lose at the Colliery this season and they have already beaten high flying Chicken Inn there.
“We have always struggled in Hwange but this time we want to go there and get a positive result. Everyone is fit and raring to go,” said Dynamos team manager Richard Chihoro on Friday.
With DeMbare away in Hwange, the clash between Caps United and Chicken Inn is the main attraction in the capital city.
The head-to-head comparison shows Makepekepe’s superiority over the Gamecocks.
In their eight league encounters since 2011, Caps United have won five, Chicken Inn two, and there has been one stalemate.
Chicken Inn are a depleted side in the absence of the league’s top scorer Edmore Chirambadare, captain Danny “Deco” Phiri and centreback Lawrence Mhlanga, who are on national duty, while rising leftback Devine Lunga and George Majika are out through injury.
But Caps United are winless in two games, having not scored in both, and are no doubt under pressure from fans to deliver.
Newly-appointed Caps United coach Mark Mathe presided over a 0-0 draw with Harare City in his first match in charge last weekend and knows this one will not be easy at all.
His captain Hardlife Zvirekwi knows it too.
“Chicken Inn are a very competitive side, full of confidence so this is not an easy game at all,” said Zvirekwi.
Caps United, who are on 21 points, are missing rising goalie Chris Mverechena, who was away with the Warriors in the Comoros and Mathe could throw in either Jorum Muchambo or Victor Twaliki.
Dependable leftback Ronald Pfumbidzai bade farewell last week while unpredictable striker Roderick Mutuma remains Awol.
In Bulawayo, Bosso coach Bongani Mafu is bracing for an exciting match-up with Kaindu, whose free-scoring Triangle invade Barbourfields.
Kaindu’s return to face his former paymasters provides an interesting sideshow, but one which the gaffer is not too concerned with.
He sounded confident about his team’s chances of upsetting Bosso in front of their own fans, a result which might spell doom for troubled Highlanders coach Mafu.
Triangle have never beaten Highlanders in a league match since their promotion in 2013, a statistic that could comfort Mafu.
“There is nothing really special about this fixture, I am just taking it as any other normal game. Football is not won by talking, it is won on the pitch. Yes, I was at Bosso but now I am at Triangle, a different Triangle from last year.
“I respect Bosso a lot but we are not looking in the past, the better team will win the match,” said Kaindu.
Mafu has been telling his boys to forget about the controversial and painful loss to Dynamos, a game he says left him “wiser”.
“The Dynamos game is over, those are three points already gone. In fact, conceding three times when you have scored twice should not be allowed again and we have been working on our alertness at the back.
“We are playing a decent team in Triangle, a side that scores a lot of goals so we need to be awake at all times,” said Mafu.
Elsewhere, Luke Masomere’s How Mine engage Buffaloes at Sakubva Stadium, while bottom-placed Dongo Sawmills host WhaWha at Vengere in a battle of relegation candidates.
Fixtures
Caps United v Chicken Inn (NSS), Dongo Sawmill v Whawha (Vengere), Hwange v Dynamos (Colliery), Highlanders v Triangle (BF), Buffaloes v How Mine (Sakubva). All games scheduled to start at 3pm
