Seven players suspended for weekend ties

By Sikhumbuzo Moyo

BULAWAYO – Highlanders’ dribbling midfielder King Nadolo and defender Honest Moyo will miss Sunday’s crunch Bulawayo Premiership derby against How Mine at Barbourfields Stadium.

The two are among seven players that will not see action this weekend after accumulating three yellow cards. The Premier Soccer League (PSL) said the players will miss one game each.

“The player(s) listed hereunder have each accumulated three (3) yellow cards and will be suspended for one match respectively. The said player(s) shall not participate in their club’s match day 18 of the Castle Lager League matches scheduled for the 15th-16th August 2015,” read a PSL communiqué released yesterday.

Other players that will sit it out this weekend are Augustine Mbara (Dynamos), William Ngonya and Xolani Ncube (Chapungu), Martin Vengesai (Harare City) and Tendai Samanja (Caps United).

Highlanders and How Mine will be meeting for the third time this season and second in seven days after their Chibuku Super Cup first round duel that was won by the gold miners 4-3 after a penalty shootout. The match had ended 1-1 in regulation time.

While Moyo has been providing some cover on the left and in central defence, it is the absence of the former Dynamos juniors’ player Nadolo that the fans will really miss, particularly his dribbling wizardry and shooting.

Highlanders are likely to welcome back their leading goal scorer Knox Mutizwa and the inspirational Eric Mudzingwa, who missed the Chibuku Super Cup tie due to injury.

Bosso are hard pressed to register their first victory in seven matches and their hard to please fans are likely to frown at any other result.

Bosso last won way back in May when they registered a 2-0 victory over league debutants Whawha. Since that win, the Bulawayo giants have drawn their league matches and controversially lost 2-3 to archrivals Dynamos in Harare.

They lie a lowly ninth on the table with 22 points, six points from the drop zone and a massive 12 points behind leaders Chicken Inn.

In fact, Bosso are much closer to the relegation zone than the leading pack.

Coach Bongani Mafu and his assistant Mandla Mpofu need to find inspiration from somewhere to win matches, starting with the How Mine clash as Bosso have lately performed like amateurs leaving opponents feeling bitterly disappointed if they fail to get maximum points against the Bulawayo giants.

Some years back, many teams would celebrate a “decent” loss against Bosso at Barbourfields Stadium.

Masvingo United actually paid their players winning bonuses for losing 3-0 to a well oiled Highlanders side in 2001.

In other matches this weekend, leaders Chicken Inn play host to Chapungu United at Luveve Stadium in a match that could go either way, although Joe Antipas’s boys will start as favourites.

Tsholotsho welcome Kelvin Kaindu’s Triangle at White City Stadium eager to avenge their 3-0 penalty shootout loss to the same team in the Chibuku Super Cup last weekend.

Legendary coach Sunday Chidzambwa will face his former club Dynamos when he leads ZPC Kariba in a league match at Rufaro Stadium.

The veteran coach had an illustrious playing career at Dynamos in the 1980s before coaching the Harare giants in various spells.

His last dance with Dynamos was in 1998 when he guided them into the final of the Caf Champions League.

Chidzambwa has been struggling in the league since taking charge of ZPC Kariba, losing three games and drawing one.

He, however, struck the right note last Sunday in the Chibuku Super Cup when ZPC Kariba booted Caps United out of the competition via penalty shootouts following a 2-2 stalemate after 90 minutes.

“I think it’s coming up and the team is shaping up. We’re getting there slowly. The new signings have been excellent so far and we’re facing a bright future. I’m looking forward to a bright future and things must start going well for us in the league,” Chidzambwa said.

Known for a defensive approach, Chidzambwa fielded three centre-backs, Thomas Sweswe, George Magariro and Dennis Dauda against Caps United.

“I love a solid defence. I try by all means to have a team that doesn’t concede,” he said.

Chidzambwa watched Dynamos playing against ZPC Kariba in the reverse fixture before his appointment. The Chronicle