Chicken Inn, Hwange in four-team tournament Joey Antipas will be hoping that Chicken Inn don't choke again
JOEY ANTIPAS 12 DEC 2013

Joey Antipas

Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
HWANGE FC will play their first pre-season match against a Premiership club at the weekend when they take on Chicken Inn in a four-team tournament set for the Colliery Stadium.The other two clubs that will participate in the pre-season tournament are Hwange based Zifa Southern Region Division One soccer League clubs Technosphere and Mpumalanga United.

Chipangano as Hwange FC are affectionately known, have only been playing lower division clubs, a  move their coach Nation Dube said was meant to    build players’ confidence before facing tough opposition.

On Saturday, Hwange and Chicken Inn will play against Division One clubs before facing off on Sunday at the Colliery Stadium.
Khumbulani Mbano, Hwange FC administrator, said his club submitted a list of 26 players made up of 25 seniors and one junior player Future McDonald Sibanda.

“The coaches asked us to organise a four-team friendly competition and we’re happy to announce  that Chicken Inn, Mpumalanga United and Technosphere who put a strong title challenge  in Division One have agreed to be part of the competition.

“They want to try their combinations and there’s no prizemoney because all clubs understand that they’ll benefit in terms of fine tuning their sides ahead of the season’s start,” said Mbano.

Chipangano retained most of their players only losing the services of fringe players Oscar Lungu and Richard Jongwe who have been replaced by Gift Mbweti and Innocent Mucheneka from their development side that is in the Zifa Southern Region Division One Soccer League.

Mbweti and Mucheneka are midfielders and have been registered under the seniors’ category as they will turn 20 soon.

Hwange’s veterans expected to play a key role in their quest for an improved season include Andrew Chuma, striker Gilbert Zulu, David Boriwondo, Rodwell Chinyengetere, Evans Rusike, Aleck Marime and Farai Vimisayi.

They also have Young Warriors’ Pritchard Mphelele, Newman Sianchali and Nkosana Siwela in their ranks.

Hwange are expected to field a strong team when they play Chicken Inn on Sunday and the Gamecocks coach Joey Antipas is looking forward to that tie.

Antipas, a championship winning coach with Motor Action in 2010, said the games in Hwange will afford him an opportunity to see progress made by   his assistants during his two-week absence when he  was attending a Caf-B Licence coaching clinic in Harare.

“I just joined the team from Harare and I’m looking forward to seeing how the boys have gelled during my absence.  I know they drew with How Mine last week and   the trip to Hwange will give us another opportunity to try different combinations because when you  train alone you think you’re on course but we’ve to see how our strategies work in game situations”, said Antipas.

The Gamecocks are done with their signings with their last addition being Raphael Kutinyu who they got from Bantu Rovers on a season’s loan.

Mitchell Katsvairo, formerly with FC Platinum, Edmore Chirambadare, the reigning Zifa Southern Region Division One Soccer League top goalscorer with 14 goals and David Temwanjira are their other pre-season acquisitions.

Antipas is yet to decide on which junior players to register in the five PSL slots. They have shortlisted six players — Amos Ncube, Musa Phiri, Godknows Mnkandla, Tambudzai Ngulube, goalkeeper Wandile Ndlovu and Thulani Nxusani who they want to include in their 2015 squad.

Seasoned players that have been retained   include Mkhokheli Dube, Bhekimpilo “Bhaka”        Ncube, skipper Danny “Deco” Phiri, former   Soccer Star of the Year Clemence Matawu, Canaan Nkomo, Thomas Chimenya, Ishmael Lawe, Thabani Goredema, Brian Mbiriri, Moses Jackson and Ben Nyahunzvi.

 

You Might Also Like

Comments