Dongo bubbling with confidence

Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
NEWBOYS Dongo Sawmill welcome How Mine for their first home match at Vengere this Sunday, saying they want to produce a fairy-tale this season like ZPC Kariba did last year. Assistant coach Dananai Chinowawa said they were no pushovers and scribes will be writing a good script similar to what was done by ZPC Kariba last season.

The Nyanga-based side announced their arrival last weekend when they drew 2-2 with FC Platinum at Mandava.

They host an expensively assembled How Mine, who are short in personnel as most of their seasoned players are injured.

Yesterday the team had a practice match with Buffaloes in Rusape.

“The game which we played against FC Platinum boosted us. We could have won the match and we were just unfortunate to concede an equaliser in the 92nd minute,” said Chinowawa..

“Playing at home, we are even geared to do more.

“Over the weekend we are expecting people from Marondera, Rusape, Nyanga and Mutare to come and witness their team in action.

“ZPC Kariba did well in their first year in the Premiership and we also think we can have a success story.

“So, in the PSL, we are not pushovers but we are aiming higher. If we can finish in the top four that is good for us. We are not simply looking at surviving relegation.

“We are playing big names but our team has young players who are unknown. We know they are prepared to fight as a team and we have prepared for them.”

Chinowawa said they were looking to continue with their dominance whenever they play at home and they never lost a match at Vengere last season.

“From Division One we never lost a game at Vengere, including the friendly matches which we played during pre-season against the teams such as Harare City and Dynamos.

“We are supported here and we know our supporters are going through financial problems and might have problems paying $3 to come in their numbers,” said Chinowawa. Only skipper Evans Chikwaikwai is an experienced cadre.

How Mine’s Luke Masomere said he has a lot of respect for his opponents after he watched their match in Mandava.

“We still have the same injuries as last week with Gilbert Banda, Nyasha Mukumbi, Godfrey Nguwodzawo, Limited Chikafa, who has begun light training, Tawanda Muparati and Charles Sibanda, who is limping and not training well,” said Masomere.

“Devon Chafa, who has gone to South Africa for trials at Wits, is also likely to miss the match but it is a positive development for us having a player getting that chance.

“But I am positive that my team will play well despite all these injuries. We will have some positional changes here and there.

“I watched Dongo playing against FC Platinum on Saturday. I don’t know who motivated them as they are doing very well. “If you see a new team scoring two away goals against a team like FC Platinum, that is a team not to take lightly.”

He praised the newboys.

“These new teams are very organised. Everyone saw what Tsholotsho did to Harare City and even here Flame Lily did well in their defeat against Chicken Inn while Whawha also gave a strong game against CAPS United even though they lost in the end.

“This year, it is a season whereby the Coach of the Year will not be not voted for but a coach who wins the league would be the best coach as all teams are organised and it will be a tough season.

“There is too much competition.”

Fixtures
Tomorrow: Harare City v Chicken Inn (Rufaro); Flame Lily v Whawha (Gwanzura); Chapungu v Dynamos (Ascot); Buffaloes v Triangle United (Vengere);

Sunday: Dongo Sawmill v How Mine (Vengere); CAPS United v FC Platinum (National Sports Stadium); Tsholotsho v Highlanders (Barbourfields); Hwange v ZPC Kariba (Colliery).

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