BY FORTUNE MBELE
Castle Lager Premier Soccer League side Chicken Inn will play two friendly matches against Harare City at Luveve Stadium this afternoon as the Bulawayo side assesses a Malawian striker, Muhammad Sulumba.
Sulumba, who has previously played for Malawi champions Nyasa Big Bullets, Mighty Tigers and Be Forward Wanderers as well as South Africa’s Polokwane City, arrived in the country on Saturday and watched Chicken Inn thump Highlanders 4-0 in a another friendly match at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.
Tavengwa Hara, the Chicken Inn’s spokesperson, confirmed the Malawian’s presence at the Gamecocks.
“The coaches will be using the friendly matches to try out the Malawian striker who has been with us. The games will be played at Luveve Stadium and we have made a request to the authorities and just await clearance,” Hara said.
Before the friendly match against Highlanders, Chicken Inn went for a four-team invitational tournament in Malawi and coach Joey Antipas, hoping to win his second league title with Chicken Inn after grabbing it in 2015, has brought in quite a number of players that include goalkeeper Donovan Bernard, Clive Augusto, Tichaona Chipunza, Valentine Kadonzvo, Panashe Mutasa, Phakamani Dube, Brett Amidu and Malvin Gaki.
Gaki was at Harare City last year.
Bernard, Kadonzvo, Gaki and Dube featured against Highlanders last Sunday.
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Harare City kick off the season this year with a game against champions FC Platinum at home, before playing away against new boys Manica Diamonds after which they face Highlanders.
The Sunshine Boys, who ended last season on position nine on the log table, are targeting a top-six finish this year and have also brought in a number of seasoned players into their squad.
Coach Mark Harrison confirmed the trip to Bulawayo for the friendly match.
“We will be playing Chicken Inn in two friendly matches tomorrow (today) at Luveve. The first game is on at 1pm and the second at 2pm, and we have agreed with Chicken Inn that we play two games so that we give all our players a chance to play. This season, we want to improve from last year and a top-six finish will be a good achievement for us,” Harrison said.
Walter Mukanga, formerly with Ngezi Platinum Stars, two ex-Caps United midfielders Peter “Rio” Moyo and utility player Milton Ncube are now at Harare City, who have also grabbed former Dynamos’ defender Marshal Machazane.
Harare City said they had made arrangements to travel with Under-23 Young Warriors’ Tatenda Tavengwa, who is expected to join the national team after the trip with his club.
Tavengwa caught the attention of Under-23 Young Warriors’ gaffer, Tonderai Ndiraya, while he was at Bulawayo City.
