BY FORTUNE MBELE
HIGHLANDERS coach Hendrikus Pieter de Jongh is confident that his team will reach the final of the Chibuku Super Cup ahead of their semi-final clash with bogey side ZPC Kariba at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.
ZPC Kariba will be the home side at Barbourfields Stadium.The draw for the semi-final was held in Harare on Monday and the venues were announced yesterday by the Premier Soccer League (PSL).
Like in the quarter-final where Highlanders were away to FC Platinum at their traditional home ground Emagumeni, the Bulawayo giants will also be away to ZPC Kariba on Sunday.
Ngezi Platinum Stars await the winner of the quarter-final tie between Harare City and Triangle at Rufaro Stadium today for the semi-final to be played on Saturday at Baobab Stadium, in a match they will be the away team in their own home ground.
According to the competition rules and regulations, it is the responsibility of the PSL secretariat to supervise general preparations and decide the competition format, fix the dates and venues of the matches and determine the match schedule and kick off times for the matches.
Following the draw that was held in Harare on Monday, De Jongh was quoted on the club’s official website saying the draw was fair and he was interested in knowing the venue.
“I think we are in a very good mood, the mood is good, the spirit of the players is high and this week we are looking forward to good training and good focus. We will work hard and hope we can go to the final. (It is a) very fair draw — against (ZPC) Kariba. It is now important to know very soon where the match will be played, which place, which stadium for preparation,” he said.
The Bulawayo giants were away for the first round of the competition against Dynamos at Rufaro in Harare, where they booted their perennial rivals out of the competition following a 1-0 win through a goal by Prince Dube.
In the quarter-finals, they were paired against FC Platinum, whom they beat 3-0 at BF on October 27 with Dube on target once more and the other goals coming from Denzel Khumalo and Tinashe Makanda.
De Jongh is wary of ZPC Kariba.“ZPC Kariba are a good team with good players. The last time we played them two weeks ago, we drew, which was a good game, especially in the second half. It’s not going to be an easy game,” he said.
“ZPC Kariba are on position four on the log, and eyeing the title or position two. However, this is a cup game, a cup game is different and it can produce any result.”
