HARARE - Harare City assistant coach Masimba Dinyero is hoping his players do not get complacent when they take on struggling Chiredzi FC this afternoon.
The two sides meet at Chishamiso Stadium in a Castle Premiership match pitting the division’s lowest ranked sides.
City are just one place off the bottom of the log with 11 points from 13 matches while Chiredzi anchor the table with a paltry seven points from the same number of matches.
Chiredzi are also a team in turmoil after the week was dominated by the club’s executive public spat with coach Moses Chunga.
Dinyero, who will be in charge of the Sunshine Boys since head coach Bigboy Mawiwi is attending a Caf A Licence coaching course, said they are not distracted by the Chiredzi sideshow.
“As Harare City, we are going to Chiredzi to collect maximum points, nothing else,” Dinyero told the Daily News.
“We are not reading much into the wrangles that have affected Chiredzi FC in the past week. We are going there as a wounded lion and we are going to fight until the end.
“If we allow complacency to get into our minds and go there thinking that Chiredzi are a team in turmoil, it will be a mistake and we will regret it.”
The Sunshine Boys have had an indifferent start to the 2014 season and 13 games into their campaign they have only won three matches.
For a team that was fighting for the championship last season, this decline has been a surprise to many.
Dinyero, however, has a perfect explanation for the Sunshine Boys’ slump.
“Last season these players put in a lot of effort in trying to win the league only losing it on the final day,” he said.
“That title challenge took a lot out of the players and when the new season started they needed to be psyched up again.
“That is now all water under the bridge and I’m sure in the second half of the season we will pull away from the bottom of the log and climb to the top.”
In another Premiership match on this afternoon, CAPS united will be hoping to pick up their second win of the season outside Harare when they take on Chicken Inn at Luveve Stadium in Bulawayo.
Taurai Mangwiro’s side have been poor travellers and only picked up their first win on the road when they defeated Chiredzi FC 2-0 at Chishamiso two weeks ago.
Against Chicken Inn, Makepekepe will come up a formidable team and the Gamecocks coach Joey Antipas is well aware of the task at hand.
“We have to be worried because CAPS are playing well, but we are going to put maximum effort so that we will be able to collect maximum points,” Antipas told the Daily News.
“We know CAPS we will give us a tough challenge, they are a good side and it’s a game we need to approach with caution. We need to have a positive mind going into this match.”
Today: Chicken Inn v CAPS United (Luveve, SS), Chiredzi v Harare City (Chishamiso), Chapungu v FC Platinum (Ascot).
Tomorrow: How Mine v Highlanders (Barbourfields, SS), Shabanie Mine v Buffaloes (Maglas), Dynamos v Black Rhinos (Nationals Sports Stadium).
Monday: Bantu Rovers v Triangle United (Luveve).