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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S Caf club competitions representatives Chicken Inn and Harare City face off in a friendly match at Barbourfields Stadium tomorrow as part of their preparations for return legs in continental football.

Chicken Inn are in the Caf Champions League while Harare City are competing in the Caf Confederation Cup.

The Gamecocks carry a 1-0 lead going into next weekend’s reverse fixture against crack South African outfit Mamelodi Sundowns while Harare City have a tricky tie against Madagascar’s AS Dema whom they beat 3-2 at Rufaro Stadium last week.

Chicken Inn’s coach Joey Antipas believes Harare City will afford them an opportunity to plan on how they will contain Sundowns in Pretoria.

“One thing we’re aware of is that Sundowns will certainly come at us in Pretoria and we have to be ready for their raids. Remember Sundowns are an attacking side and being one goal down and playing at home, they remain favourites. As for us, we only need to find a proper game plan to withstand whatever attack they throw at us and we believe Harare City will give us that kind of test we need,” said Antipas.

The Chicken Inn coach will also use the game to look at some of the players who did not feature or came from the bench against Sundowns.

Central midfielder Thabani Goredema sat on the bench while winger Physwell Madhazi came from the bench in the second half replacing George Majika.

Playmaker Clemence Matawu, who was left out because of lack of match fitness alongside defender Teenage Hadebe, Ben Nyahunzvi, Brian Juru and Guide Goddard, are some of the players that Antipas would want to have a look at.

Unheralded midfielder Nicholas Muchadeyi, who scored a wonder-strike for Chicken Inn against Tanzania’s Azam FC during a tour of Zambia at the beginning of the month, could also get some game time tomorrow.

Just like Chicken Inn, Harare City are taking tomorrow’s friendly seriously with assistant coach Mkhuphali Masuku saying they want to work on their tactics.

The capital city boys gave away two goals to AS Dema which could haunt them in the return leg.

However, Masuku is confident that they will work on their shortcomings against the Gamecocks.

“Our friendly match against Chicken Inn is quite important because that is where we’re going to work on tactical combinations which we intend to use in Madagascar.

“It’s good that we’re playing a team that is also in the Caf club competitions like Chicken Inn because we almost have similar goals which will make the game exciting. I believe the paying public will watch some interesting football at Barbourfields Stadium,” said Masuku.

Chicken Inn have pegged the gate charges for the Harare City friendly match at $2.