CHICKEN Inn coach Mandla Mpofu says they have “to die” for maximum points when they clash with Motor Action in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Luveve Stadium tomorrow.
Report by Sukoluhle Mthethwa
The Gamecox, as Chicken Inn are affectionately known, seem to be struggling of late despite having won the NetOne Charity Shield at the start of the season. Last Saturday, Chicken Inn lost 2-1 to Harare City having already dropped maximum points against FC Platinum, Monomotapa and Hwange.
The Bulawayo side collected maximum points against Triangle, Tripple B, Caps United and collected a point after they played a one-all draw with defending champions Dynamos in Harare.
Chicken Inn are on position eight with 10 points while Motor Action are on position 12 with eight points from the same number of games.
Motor Action have also been inconsistent so far. They lost two points after they were held to a goalless draw by Hwange at home in the season’s opening match.
The Mighty Bulls dropped maximum points against Caps United and were hammered 4-0 by Harare City, but picked up maximum points in their next game when they beat Highlanders 1-0 at Barbourfields Stadium.
The defeat marked the first home defeat for Highlanders this season and the first home league defeat for Zambian coach Kelvin Kaindu since he took over as Bosso coach last season. In the next match, Motor Action collected a point from a 2-2 draw with Black Rhinos, but lost the next games to Buffaloes and How Mine before they beat Black Mambas 2-0 in their last league game.
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Mpofu yesterday said they have to fight to get maximum points.
“We have been very inconsistent this season, so the players, technical staff and the whole Chicken Inn family are very worried. We are not happy with our performance so far, but we do not want to put ourselves under pressure. We have to put our heads together.
“We are just going through a rough patch. It happens in football and it is happening to so many teams, but it is just that there is a lot of attention on us because we won the Charity Shield. We definitely have to die for the three points,” he said.
Mpofu said Canaan Nkomo and Brian Juru were the only casualties in the team although they were undergoing light training.
Motor Action stand-in coach David George said they were geared for the match.
“Chicken Inn are just like any other team, so we have been preparing for the game just like any other. Any coach will want to collect maximum points when they play home or away. We will be missing Merciful Ncube, but a team cannot do with one player,” he said.
