PSL action resumes

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
DOMESTIC topflight football action resumes this weekend after a two-month break with three rescheduled Match-Day 3 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League games kicking off 2022 proceedings.

The PSL was forced to cancel the Chicken Inn vs Tenax CS FC, the mouthwatering Bulawayo Chiefs vs FC Platinum and Black Rhinos vs Caps United fixtures due to Covid-19 cases at the clubs.

The three matches have been rescheduled for this weekend, with 10th-placed Chicken Inn hoping to close in on table-toppers Manica Diamonds when they host new boys Tenax who are second from the bottom of the table with just one point from their 2-2 draw against Whawha.

Chicken Inn edged Cranborne Bullets 1-0 on the opening day of the season before losing 1-2 to FC Platinum in their second fixture.

Defending champions FC Platinum and Manica Diamonds are the only teams yet to drop a point.

FC Platinum clobbered Tenax 6-1 in their other match.

Manica Diamonds top the table with nine points from three outings, while FC Platinum are third with six points from two games.

The champions are on the road for the first time when they visit Chiefs, who’ve also had a brilliant start to the season, winning 1-0 at home against Triangle United and drawing 0-0 at Cranborne Bullets.

Chiefs, who are seventh on the log with four points, are FC Platinum’s bogey side, giving the champions a good run for their money in the four league meetings that they have had.

The two sides have faced each other four times, each winning twice. Chiefs drew first blood in the first-leg of the 2018 season when they won the encounter 2-0 in Bulawayo before FC Platinum won the reverse fixture 3-1.

In 2019, FC Platinum beat Chiefs 3-0 in Bulawayo, but the Twitter Kings managed a 1-0 win in Zvishavane.

The weekend clash between Chiefs and FC Platinum promises to be a thriller as the ambitious Bulawayo side hasn’t been shy to flaunt its purse, raiding the cash-rich platinum side for the signatures of national team defensive midfielder Kelvin Madzongwe and striker Perfect Chikwende.

The latter trained with FC Platinum on his return from Tanzania’s Simba SC, only for Chiefs to pull a shocker and snatch him from the champions.

Chiefs have also added two former FC Platinum players, the Moyo defensive twins, Kevin and Elvis.

Veteran striker Obidiah Tarumbwa and Obriel Chirinda signed from Chicken Inn.

Chiefs will get a real test from FC Platinum, who also parted ways with veterans Rodwell Chinyengetere and Ralph Kawondera, as well as midfielder Denzel Khumalo.

FC Platinum are said to be rejuvenating their side by blooding in youngsters and doing away with old horses.

Article Source: The Chronicle