HARARE football giants Dynamos’ title credentials will be put to the test again tomorrow when they visit Chicken Inn for a Castle Lager Premiership showdown at Barbourfields Stadium.
BY SPORTS REPORTER
The Glamour Boys have hit a purple patch recently, putting together six straight wins that have seen them claiming second spot on the league table with 29 points from 15 matches.
They trail leaders Ngezi Platinum by two points and a week ago, temporarily led the table after defeating Bantu Rovers 2-0 before the platinum miners roared back to claim top spot after edging FC Platinum in another league match.
Suddenly, a team that had been struggling for fluency since the start of the campaign appears to be back in the race for the championship.
With midfield magician Denver Mukamba having penned a two-year deal with the club following the expiry of his initial one-year contract, there is an air of optimism among their multitudes of fans that this could be their year.
Tomorrow, they have to clear the hurdle posed by Chicken Inn, a massive game that will help measure their readiness to wrest the championship from their bitter rivals Caps United.
Former champions Chicken Inn, now under the guidance of Rahman Gumbo, are considered one of the title challengers this season.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
They are in fourth place, with 28 points, just a point shy of DeMbare having won nine, drawn one and lost five in the matches they have played so far.
A win for Dynamos will lift them to the summit of the league table for the second time this season.
Team manager Richard Chihoro yesterday maintained they were taking each game as it came and would approach the match with caution.
“Chicken Inn are one of the teams that have been consistent this season and it will not be easy,” he said.
The Gamecocks are keen to cash in on the fixture that is set to attract a bumper crowd at Barbourfields after hiking the gate charges to $5 for the rest of the ground, wings $10 and VIP $15.
The move comes after the PSL’s announcement that it was set to introduce mobile money transfer platform Ecocash as a payment method at football stadiums to mitigate against the current cash shortages being experienced in the country.
The cashless system will be introduced on a trial basis during today’s encounter at Barbourfields to enable fans easy access to the stadium.
The move comes after the successful introduction of point-of-sale (POS) machines as a payment option earlier this season.
PSL chief executive officer Mr Kennedy Ndebele said: “We have heeded the calls from football fans to adopt cashless payment methods and we are pleased to bring them the convenience of accessing football matches without having to wait in queues to withdraw money.
“The POS machine system has proved to be a success and it is something we are going to continue with as we look for ways to enable easy access to the stadiums and improve attendance owing to the current cash shortages.”
Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Matchday 17 fixtures
(All matches kickoff at 3pm unless stated otherwise)
Today: Bantu Rovers v Bulawayo City (Luveve, 1300), How Mine v Harare City (Luveve), FC Platinum v Chapungu (Mandava), Yadah FC v Shabanie Mine (Morris Depot)
Tomorrow: Triangle v Ngezi Platinum (Gibbo), Hwange v ZPC Kariba (Colliery), Black Rhinos v Tsholotsho (Morris Depot), Chicken Inn v Dynamos (Barbourfields), Caps United v Highlanders (postponed)
