DeMbare ready for Highlanders

By Grace Chingoma

Giants Dynamos say they would not have wished for a better opponent than rivals Highlanders whom they meet in the NetOne Easycall Cup semi-final in Bulawayo on December 6.

CAPS United, who have been a resurgent outfit under Lloyd Chitembwe, get the ball rolling with a date against Chicken Inn in the other semi-final a day before the big clash.

Both games will be at Barbourfields. Dynamos team manager Richard Chihoro said Barbourfields remain their favourite hunting ground.

“It is a good draw. We know we were bound to meet one big team because they are the only teams that reached the semi-finals,” said Chihoro.

“We are happy we are meeting Highlanders at Barbourfields because whenever we play them at Barbourfields, we play well there.

“We are looking forward to winning the match. They have gone for six matches without losing a game and it would be interesting.

“Football is round and anything can happen, so we are not looking at our dominance over them in the past matches.”

The veteran manager said they were still feeling the pain of failing to defend the league title and want to grab the $80 000 reserved for the winners of the tournament.

“This is the remaining Cup in the Premiership and we are looking forward to it,” said Chihoro.

Highlanders’ vice chairman Mgcini Mpofu, said they were ready for the battle.

“Not only does it enhance our chances to redeem ourselves as Highlanders. It also gives us a chance to make sure that our coffers are beefed up,” said Mpofu.

“It is actually what we had wished for, what we wanted is to get rid of Dynamos and make sure that when we get to the final we are done and dusted with them.

“So I think for us it was a very good draw and we wish them good luck coming to Barbourfields.”

CAPS United coach Lloyd Chitembwe said his men were facing a tough battle.

“It is a difficult draw, very difficult in the sense that they are on a high (Chicken Inn), recently crowned champions so that just that makes this a very difficult game.

“But all the same we have a duty to do, to make sure we perform to the level that we are expected to perform when playing.

“We just hope on the day we will do the best to get the result that we want.

“Obviously, the club is very ambitious. As a team we are ambitious and I think the last couple of weeks have been very special for us,” said Chitembwe.

Chitembwe believes the presence of the giants in the draw meant that there was no easy assignment.

“All teams are almost at the same level and we wouldn’t have wished to avoid any team,” said Chitembwe.

“All the teams are in the semis on merit and it is by no coincidence that probably the biggest teams in the country, teams with history, we talk of Dynamos, we talk of CAPS United and Highlanders and Chicken Inn they also have the potential to become a big club, are still in the running.

“We are poised for exciting semi-finals.”

Champions Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas said they were still hungry for more success.

“At this stage of the season, whoever we play it is a tight game. We are up against CAPS United and they have proved to be our bogey side, they have collected four points from us.

“Cup games are always tricky and unpredictable. But we will give it our best shot and try and reach the final,” said Antipas. The Herald