AFTER a fruitful weekend in round six of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League, Chicken Inn and How Mine square off in the third Bulawayo derby at Luveve Stadium on Saturday. SPORTS REPORTER
Chicken Inn beat Black Rhinos 1-0 at Rimuka while How Mine dismissed Hwange 2-0 at Luveve.
It will certainly be a battle of supremacy for the two Bulawayo sides who were separated by a point at the end of last season – Chicken Inn on position six with 44 points while How Mine ended the season just one rung behind on position seven with 43 points.
How Mine sit on position six with 10 points while the GameCocks are perched on position seven with nine points.
Last year, they met in May on Africa Day at Barbourfields Stadium (BF) in the first match and Chicken Inn emerged victorious with a solitary goal scored by Tendai Ndoro who is now with Mpumalanga Black Aces in South Africa.
When Chicken Inn won that game last year, it was round 12 of the league programme and they went on to tie up with How Mine on 20 points, with the Metallon gold-sponsored outfit having a superior goal difference.
How Mine had opted to use BF and in the reverse fixture, Chicken Inn remained in their favourite hunting ground Luveve, but they succumbed to a 1-2 defeat to How Mine with the gold miners coming from behind to score through Timothy January and Menard Mupera.
Ndoro, last year’s golden boot award winner with 18 goals, had scored first for Chicken Inn.
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In the first game, Philani Mabhena was in charge at How Mine before his namesake Philani “Beefy” Ncube, who is still at the helm, took over.
At Chicken Inn, the man in charge was Mandla “Lulu” Mpofu in both the games, but it’s a change of scenarios this year with former Motor Action gaffer Joey Antipas now pulling the strings at the fast-foods outlet side.
Chicken Inn have also brought in new faces to the squad that has Passmore Bernard, Charles Mutero, Ben Nyahunzvi, Ramson Zhuwawo, Ishmael Lawe, George Majika, Cabby Kamhapa and Bhekimpilo “Barca” Ncube.
From last year they have Mkhokheli Dube, Danny “Deco” Phiri, Tendai Mukambi, Thabani Goredema, Canaan Nkomo, Clemence Matawu, Brian Mbiriri and goalkeeper Liberty Chirava.
How Mine brought in goalkeeper Ephraim Mazarura, Nyasha Mukumbi, James Chitereki, Blessing Sande, Kudakwashe Musharu, Wonder Sithole, Morris Kadzola, George Magariro, Edmore Muzanenhamo, Emmanuel Mandiranga, Benjamin Marere, Heritani Masuku and Young Warriors shotstopper Donovan Bernard.
They have retained Mupera, who missed the weekend tie against Hwange due to suspension, skipper Gilbert Banda, Brighton Dube, Thembani Masuku, January and the injured Warren Dube.
