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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
BROADCASTING of Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matches for this season by SuperSport starts today in Bulawayo with a potentially explosive double header at Barbourfields Stadium.

The giant sports channel had not beamed any matches this season and the resumption will be welcomed by soccer fans, who have been hard hit by a squeeze in their spending due to chronic cash shortages in the country.

The first game to be screened is the tie between How Mine and FC Platinum which kicks off at 1PM followed by the Bulawayo City and Black Rhinos encounter at 3PM.

How Mine who are in rich form will be out to stretch their winning streak to five games, a result that will take them to the top of the table with 16 points.

Going into today’s encounter, How Mine are third on the table tied on 13 points with leaders Ngezi Platinum Stars and second placed Highlanders who play their respective matches tomorrow.

What makes the How Mine game against FC Platinum a potentially explosive encounter is that both sides are hard-pressed for maximum points and would want to build from their respective last weekend’s 1-0 wins. How Mine beat Chicken Inn in a local derby while FC Platinum edged Hwange at Zvishavane’s Maglas Stadium.

Defender Kudzi Chideu was on target for the goldminers with last season’s Soccer Star of the Year finalist Winston Mhango scoring for FC Platinum.

FC Platinum can also make a giant leap to the top of the table from position five if they beat How Mine. The platinum miners, one of the only two unbeaten teams in the league with Caps United have amassed 12 points from six games.

Bulawayo City who are smarting from a 2-0 away loss to ZPC Kariba will be hoping to return to winning ways when they host Black Rhinos having lost their last home game 1-2 to Triangle United a fortnight ago.

City’s will look to the speedy attacking pair of Mkhokheli Dube and Mkhululi Moyo with Kelvin Madzongwe and Sipho Ndlovu expected to direct operations from the midfield. Zibusiso Sibanda, Lindelani Vice Ncube, Zephaniah Ngodzo and Nyasha Mukumbi will battle for places in central defence.

Black Rhinos are on position six with 11 points while their opponents are on number 10 with eight points from seven games.

Black Rhinos are no pushovers and are capable of piling misery on the local authority bankrolled side.

In their last visit to Bulawayo last month, Black Rhinos shocked Chicken Inn, beating the 2015 champions 1-0.

Black Rhinos have an experienced goalkeeper in Herbert Rusawo, defenders Jameson Mukombwe and Sydney Linyama, midfielder Wonder Kapinda and strikers Benjamin Marere as well as Lot Chiwunga.

Match Day Eight Fixtures

Today: How Mine v FC Platinum (Barbourfields, SuperSport, 1PM), Bulawayo City v Black Rhinos (Barbourfields, SuperSport), ZPC Kariba v Tsholotsho FC (Nyamhunga), Yadah FC v Chicken Inn (National Sports Stadium)

Tomorrow: Hwange v Triangle United (Colliery), Shabanie Mine v Chapungu (Maglas), Harare City v Ngezi Platinum (Morris Depot), Highlanders v Dynamos (Barbourfields,           SuperSport), Caps United v Bantu Rovers (Postponed)