ZPC Kariba coach Saul Chaminuka admits his side has exceeded expectations so far this season, but insists there is still plenty of room for improvement. HENRY MHARA SPORTS REPORTER
The Kariba-based team, currently fourth on the log standings and a point behind leaders Dynamos after four rounds of matches, will host FC Platinum at Gwanzura Stadium this afternoon with a chance to temporarily assume the top position on the log standings as the three leading teams will only be in action tomorrow.
Chaminuka’s side is one of the three teams alongside Highlanders and Hwange yet to taste a league defeat this season.
This record becomes even more impressive for the league debutants, as they have faced Dynamos, Caps United and the fading Harare City in their opening fixtures.
Asked if ZPC Kariba were ahead of where he expected them to be at this stage of the season, Chaminuka said: “Definitely yes. Very few gave us a chance when we started the season. Very few gave us a chance to get points against Dynamos, Caps United and Harare City, but we managed to come out with seven points from those matches which I think is a great achievement for a small team such as ours. I feel we have exceeded expectations so far and I’m obviously happy with it,” Chaminuka said.
While obviously impressed with his team’s super start to the season, Chaminuka said he was already beginning to notice some signs of fatigue in his side due to the taxing road trips from their base to other venues across the country.
After their opening three matches, all played at their adopted home ground Gwanzura Stadium, ZPC Kariba last weekend made the cross-country trip to Mutare where they faced Buffaloes and after the FC Platinum match, they will head to Chiredzi for a Sunday date with Triangle.
“If these long trips cannot affect us, then nothing will.
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“That will mean we are abnormal, super humans because a normal human being will obviously be affected by this. We are always on the road, with very little time to recover. My players struggled at the end of the game in Mutare and I could see it was because of fatigue.
“We did not return to Kariba after the Buffaloes match, but had to put up in Harare for tomorrow’s (today’s) match and we are unlikely to proceed to Chiredzi afterwards. We are just hoping that our stadium in Kariba which is going under renovations will be ready by the end of May as per schedule because these trips are becoming very taxing for the players,” Chaminuka said.
Commenting on the game against an inconsistent FC Platinum side that has won once, lost once and drawn twice, Chaminuka said: “They won their last match, so they have a better momentum than us. They are coming with their confidence levels very high. We know how they play, they like to keep possession and we are going to do our best to disturb their play,” he added.
