The Standard

Sport
The Standard September 28 to October 4 2014 31
Highlanders
in make-orbreak
tie
Today’s match is a do-or-die for Kelvin
Kaindu’s men as another loss means they will
no longer catch up with the leading pack of
Dynamos and ZPC Kariba
By Brian nkiwane
THE Castle Lager Premier
Soccer League (PSL) enters
home stretch this weekend
with two of the top three teams
— Highlanders and ZPC Kariba
— clashing this afternoon in Bulawayo,
while log leaders Dynamos
are in yet another tricky encounter
with relegation-threatened
Shabanie Mine at Rufaro.
After today’s matches, it will get
easier to predict where the championship
will go, considering both
matches involving the top three
this afternoon have a bearing on
the championship race.
Attention will be at Hartsfield
in Bulawayo where Highlanders
welcome high-riding ZPC Kariba
in a make-or-break encounter.
Bosso will be looking to restoring
their tattered pride following
last week’s agonising 1-0 defeat to
Harare City. The Bulawayo giants
had been on top of the log for the
better part of the season but were
dislodged by old rivals Dynamos.
Their loss to Harare City saw
them trailing behind today’s opponents
ZPC Kariba by two points.
Kauya Katuruturu — as ZPC Kariba
are affectionately known —
have 41 points while Dynamos
lead with 43 points.
Today’s match is a do-or-die for
Kelvin Kaindu’s men as another
loss would mean falling further
behind the leading pack of Dynamos
and ZPC Kariba. A win however,
would see them dethrone
ZPC Kariba on second position
and put them within championship
reach.
Meanwhile, victory for Kauya
Katuruturu will throw Bosso out
of the championship contest, thus
narrowing the race to a two-team
challenge.
Bosso and ZPC Kariba pray that
Shabanie Mine produce a Houdini
act against Dynamos at Rufaro
this afternoon so that they close
the gap on the log leaders.
Highlanders, who are trying
Under pressure . . . Highlanders coach Kelvin Kaindu
hard to win the championship
which they last won in 2006 under
the guidance of Methembe Ndlovu
who is now director and coach
at Bantu Rovers, are buoyed by
the return from suspension of defender
Dumisani “Fazo” Ndlovu
and midfielder turned defender
Simon Munawa who both missed
the Harare City tie.
Munawa is expected to resume
his anchorman’s role together
with Hillary Madzivanyika, while
Fazo is expected to take over from
former skipper Innocent Mapuranga
and join Eric “Tsiba”
Mudzingwa in the heart of defence.
Kaindu said he was happy that
Webster Chingodza, who seems
to have solved his right back position
headache that has been giving
him sleepless nights, is back
in training and will be available
for selection.
“All the players will be available
for selection, including Njabulo
Ncube. A lot has happened but
we believe we are still within the
range of the log leaders. Anything
can happen in the remaining fixtures,”
Kaindu said.
ZPC Kariba, who are missing
the services of playmaker Raphael
Manuvire who was injured in
a league match against Chapungu
in June, will be out to collect maximum
points and continue their
fairytale in their maiden dance
with top-flight football.
Coach Saul Chaminuka said he
will be without two of his first
team players Obey Mwerahari
and Tsepo Rathokoane, who are
both injured.
“We have been playing well so
far, thus we hope to continue doing
well. Highlanders are playing
at home so they will be under
pressure taking into consideration
that they lost their last match
against Harare City. So we might
capitalise on that,” Chaminuka
said.
Dynamos team manager Richard
Chihoro confirmed a clean
health bill in his camp, adding
that all their registered players
were available for selection.
“We are now on top and we have
the chance of bagging the fourth
staright title. What we need to do
is win all our remaining fixtures
then we know we are done,” Chihoro
said.
However, Shabanie Mine refused
to be intimidated.
Head coach Jairos Tapera
said his boys were more than
ready to face the Zimbabwean
football champions but bemoaned
the unavailability of
Marvellous Dikinya, who will
be out serving suspension as
well as an injury to striker
Tholani Ncube.
He however added that he had
told his boys to go into this match
without thinking about relegation
which is slowly knocking on
their doors.
“We have to do with what is in
camp for now. Dynamos are a very
big team and every coach would
want to beat them. We respect
them as one of the biggest clubs
in the country, but we are going to
give our best on Sunday [today],”
Tapera said.
“Surviving relegation is another
issue, Sunday’s [today] match
is another issue. In as much as we
would want to survive, if we try
and mix the two, then the players
will approach this match with
a negative mind. We need to win
this so as to start talking about
surviving”.
How Mine, Chicken Inn draw
By FOrTUne MBeLe
How Mine. . . (1) 1
Chicken Inn . . . (1) 1
FC Platinum . . . (2) 2
Buffaloes . . . (1)1
HOW MINE COACH Luke Masomere
is still confident the gold
miners will survive relegation
after picking up a point against
Chicken Inn at Hartsfield yesterday.
A well-taken penalty by Menard
Mupera in the 24 th minute
saved the day for How Mine
as Chicken Inn had opened the
floodgates as early as the 5 th
minute with a header by defender
Lawrence Mhlanga.
How Mine remained on position
11 with 29 points while the
GameCocks dropped one rung
down the ladder to position seven
as they were dislodged by FC
Platinum who came from behind
to beat visiting Buffaloes
2-1 at Mandava yesterday.
Chicken Inn are now on 34
points with six games remaining
to put a lid on the 2014 Castle
Lager Premier Soccer League
season.
Masomere said the game was
a balanced affair which could
have gone either way.
“It was a balanced affair. We
had our own chances and they
had their own. I think the boys
played very well. We are here to
make sure we produce results
in the next coming games and
it’s encouraging that I am yet to
lose in the league since joining
How Mine.
“How Mine is not relegation
material and I am building a
team that will be playing in
the Premier League next year,”
Masomere said.
His counterpart Joey Antipas
had this to say after the match:
“It was a fair result but we
should have walked away with
the three points, but we can’t
say no to a point. Our build-up
play was very impressive but
unfortunately we did not get the
maximum points. What we hope
for is a strong finish to the season
and take the pressure off
our backs,” Antipas said.
Mhlanga rose above the How
Mine defence with a beautiful
header past goalkeeper Donovan
Bernard in the 5 th minute
before his goal was cancelled by
Mupera with a spot kick after
Heritein Masuku was hacked
down inside the penalty box in
a goalmouth scramble.
Hwange referee Hardly Ndazi
pointed to the spot and Mupera
sent goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze
the wrong way.
In Zvishavane, FC Platinum
survived an early Buffaloes
scare as they came from behind
to win 2-1 at Mandava yesterday.
The win took Norman Mapeza
men’s points tally to 35, moving
up the ladder to sixth position.
Buffaloes were the first to
hit the target through veteran
striker Kastigu Juwakinyu in
the 17 th minute.
The platinum miners then responded
through Wisdom Mutasa
in the 34 th minute and it
did not take Donald Ngoma two
minutes to grab the winner in
the 36 th minute.
Meanwhile, the match between
Chapungu and Chiredzi
scheduled for Ascot stadium
was abandoned yesterday after
the visitors failed to produce licences.
The Chiredzi-based side arrived
at the stadium 45 minutes
after kickoff time.
They also failed to bring their
playing kits and their coach
Gishon Ntini was not part of
the travelling entourage.
Match Commissioner Japhet
Mufiri confirmed that the
match was cancelled.
“The match has been abandoned.
“They arrived late at the stadium
and they did not bring
their licences and kits,” said
Mufiri.
An unidentified person who
was aboard the Chiredzi FC
team bus confirmed that the
licences and kits were in the
same vehicle that was on its way
to the stadium with coach Ntini.
The troubled Lowveld-based
side is believed to have deliberately
connived to abandon the
match as a protest for unfair upkeep
by management.
Zim golfers aim
continental glory
DanieL nHakaniSO in kiTwe, ZaMBia
ZIMBABWE will be aiming to
become the first country on
the continent to lift the prestigious
Africa Golf Confederation
(AGC) Presidents Cup which
tees off at Nkana Golf Club on
Tuesday.
The new continental amateur
team golf tournament, which is
the brainchild of current AGC
boss Joe Malanji, who is deputised
by former Zimbabwe Golf
Association Obed Dube, will see
11 African countries battling
out for honours until Saturday.
Zimbabwe is being represented
by a strong four-member
team led by team captain Tonderai
Masunga. The other members
are Thembelani Vundla,
Visitor Mapwanya and national
team debutant Robson Chinhoi.
Roger Baylis, the veteran
teaching professional, is the national
team coach.
The team arrived in Kitwe on
Friday morning after a gruelling
road journey that included
a five-hour delay at the Chirundu
border post.
However, despite the taxing
trip the four-member team has
had enough time to recover and
familiarise with the Nkana Golf
Club course before the tournament
begins.
After a light chipping and putting
session on Friday, the team
went a gear up in their preparations
yesterday with the players
taking part in their first practice
round at the hosting course.
Masunga, who captains the
national team for the first time
after enjoying a successful season
on the local circuit, said he
was confident his charges would
make the nation proud.
“We are all happy to be representing
our country. The guys
are motivated and they all want
to do well in this tournament.
We arrived here early and this
has given us enough time to prepare
and hopefully come Tuesday
we will play well,” Masunga
said.
With neighbours South Africa
not taking part in the inaugural
edition of the AGC Presidents
Cup, Zimbabwe — who have in
the past always come second to
their southern neighbours —
has a chance of bagging cup.
Other countries expected to
take part in the tournament are
Namibia, Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania,
Kenya, Tunisia, Mauritius,
Mozambique, Botswana
and the hosts.