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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
TSHOLOTSHO Football Club are fully focused on today’s Castle Lager Premiership duel with FC Platinum despite the huge setback that hit them on Wednesday morning after a fire razed down a supermarket belonging to club owner Mandla Manyathela.Goods worth $300,000 were destroyed in the fire. The Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services who is also the Zanu-PF candidate for Tsholotsho North in the upcoming by-elections, Jonathan Moyo, Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs Minister, Cain Mathema and Tsholotsho South House of Assembly representative Zenzo Sibanda toured the site of the fire and had a few words of comfort for Manyathela.

However, iZiqholo zeZhwane head coach Lizwe Sweswe said while they could still be grieving and pained, the job at hand this afternoon at Mandava Stadium was their key result area and were even more determined to do well.

He is aware though that their hosts this afternoon, despite going through a terrible period that saw them hand league debutants Whawha their first set of three points, are financially and territorially way ahead of them.

Sweswe, though, says that does not worry him a bit.

“They have big moneys, a big coach and will have a huge number of supporters but that should and does not worry us, we are prepared,” said Sweswe.

He said his intention was to kill the game as early as possible with the hope that once that goal comes, the hosts will be unsettled and perhaps make even more mistakes.

Two-goal hero in their last visit to the Midlands, Lynnoth Chikuhwa and Simba Gorogodyo will lead Tsholotsho’s attack this afternoon as they bid to add more misery to Norman Mapeza who last week cried sabotage from his own camp.

Goalkeeper Mariyoni Chang has to be on high alert as FC Platinum have slippery forwards in Wisdom Mutasa and Walter Musona who can also play as wingers.

Tsholotsho are yet to lose outside Bulawayo with their two losses ironically coming from Bulawayo teams, Highlanders and Chicken Inn, who both beat them with an identical 0-1 scoreline.

They announced their entry into the elite league in grand style, beating Harare City 1-0 at Rufaro Stadium.

Meanwhile, Barbourfields Stadium will this weekend play host to two matches, both set to be beamed live on Supersport. Tomorrow, gold miners How Mine get the ball rolling against Whawha in a match that How Mine coach Luke Masomere hopes will bring a change of fortune as Luveve Stadium has proven to be a difficult venue for his side to collect maximum points.

City giants Highlanders are involved in an epic battle against Caps United at the same venue on Sunday. The match promises to be an explosive encounter set to attract a bumper crowd. Little is known about the Highlanders camp this week after the club’s Press conference yesterday, where coach Bongani Mafu was expected to answer questions from the media, was a failure.

The club recently gagged Mafu from talking to the media and said chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede will be answering questions, even technical, during the week and said they will be calling Press conferences once every week where Mafu will then answer questions from the media.

“The Press conference was supposed to be today, Highlanders was here but no one from the media turned up,” said an office employee at the Highlanders offices yesterday.

It turned out the club invited journalists individually instead of through their media houses.

League leaders, Chicken Inn leave tomorrow morning for the capital where they are set to face reigning champions Dynamos at the artificial turf Rufaro Stadium.

The Gamecocks’ coach, Joe Antipas, is not a fan of the turf and last time blamed their defeat to Harare City on the turf.

His charges though have been playing marvellous football ever since that loss and might as well hand the Glamour Boys their first defeat of the season.

The Bulawayo side are, however, without inspirational captain Danny “Deco” Phiri who was red-carded in their 1-0 win over How Mine last weekend.

Antipas though remains modest about their championship status but was agreeable that Sunday’s outcome will have a huge bearing on the title race.