The ManicaPost
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
THREE of Eastern Region’s Castle Lager Premiership teams — Manica Diamonds, Triangle and Tenax — are now ready to take off from where they left and make an impact in the Chibuku Super Cup.
The Chibuku Super Cup matches will mark the return of local football action next Wednesday after a three-month suspension owing to the Covid-19 lockdown regulations.
The Castle Premier Soccer League recently released fixtures for the next Chibuku Super Cup round to mark the return of football in the country.
The games were suspended in June following a surge in Covid-19 cases.
After Government recently gave the green light for the resumption of action, the tournament is now set to roll to life with the remaining group stage encounters.
Clubs have already conducted Covid-19 tests, and group training is underway.
However, Manica Diamonds, Triangle and Tenax FC have made clear their intentions to progress and go beyond the group stages of the competition.
Manica Diamonds gaffer, Johanisi Nhumwa, confirmed that his players are ready for the resumption of the Chibuku Super Cup, with slippery winger, Marshal Mudehwe, the only one nursing an injury.
“We are starting from zero in terms of fitness. The aspects of fitness in football are very key to modern football. The players are pushing hard and fast due to limited time for the games to resume.
“Only Marshal Mudehwe is injured. The rest of the players are training hard. We are looking forward to finish Chibuku Super Cup on a high note despite some stops and starts,” said Nhumwa.
Tenax FC secretary, Wilbert Mukasi said: “We lost our goalkeeper, Simbarashe Ngosi who left for greener pastures. We have since replaced him. We believe we are ready to resume and the players are raring to go. We have former Manica Diamonds keeper, Godfrey Chisango and former Yadah FC shot stopper, Tinashe Mabire in our ranks whom we believe are equal to the task at hand.”
Triangle coach, Taurai Mangwiro said: “We resumed training last Thursday. We have a lot of ground to cover and remind ourselves of our goals and aims as competition resumes. Not much happened during the lockdown. We remain understaffed, with only two goalkeepers and a compliment of 25 players, 22 of whom are seniors.
“It remains a challenge, but one will understand that these are the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic that resulted in us failing to bring in new personnel.
“We did not perform as we expected in the Chibuku Super Cup after picking only one point out of a possible nine. We will be motivated by that. We know what is expected of us and that should see us returning to the field of play with more zeal and hunger. We are looking forward to atone for the poor run in the first phase of the tournament.”
Fixtures:
Wednesday: Herentals FC v ZPC Kariba (NSS); Dynamos v Yadah FC (NSS); Cranborne Bullets v Manica Diamonds (Sakubva Stadium); Triangle FC v Ngezi Platinum (Mandava Stadium); Chicken Inn v Bulawayo City (Barbourfields Stadium); FC Platinum v Whawha FC (Mandava Stadium); Black Rhinos v Tenax FC (Sakubva Stadium)
Thursday: Harare City v CAPS United (NSS); Highlanders v Bulawayo City (Barbourfields Stadium)
Saturday: ZPC Kariba v Dynamos (National Sports Stadium); Cranborne Bullets v Black Rhinos (Sakubva Stadium); FC Platinum v Triangle FC (Mandava Stadium)
