THE Castle Lager Premier Soccer League clash between Dynamos and Manica Diamonds set for Gibbo Stadium tomorrow has been postponed as confusion dogs the domestic football set up.
The Premier Soccer League (PSL) on Tuesday postponed all the weekend fixtures to pave way for a proposed friendly match between the Warriors and Botswana that had been planned for tomorrow at the National Sports Stadium.
But after it emerged that Botswana had no plans to travel to Harare this weekend, the PSL on Wednesday announced that all the league games were back on this weekend.
Dynamos then wrote to the PSL asking for their weekend trip to Manica Diamonds to be postponed because they had three players invited for a Warriors training camp.
DeMbare have captain Frank Makarati, Tanaka Shandirwa and goalkeeper Prince Tafiremutsa in the Warriors squad.
Zifa tried to rescue the situation yesterday by dropping Tafiremutsa from the Warriors squad so that Dynamos could fulfill their fixture.
However, Dynamos stood their ground, arguing that they were incapacitated to play the game as they had already given the rest of the squad members some days off.
"When we received the initial communication to the effect that the games have been suspended, and acting on that, we gave our players a weekend off," Dynamos chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze told NewsDay yesterday.
- FC Platinum open nine point lead
- DeMbare not giving up title fight
- Caps trash relegation talk
- Herentals, Manica in battle of wits
Keep Reading
“We understand some travelled outside Harare, some as far as Bulawayo and Mutare to be with their families so how could we go ahead and play the game. For this weekend, we won't be able to fulfil the fixture,” he added.
The PSL was left with no option but to postpone the fixture, with their spokesperson Kudzai Bare confirming yesterday that the match would be played on a later date.
“The fixture between Dynamos and Manica Diamonds has been postponed. It's just that one, the rest will go on as scheduled. We will be releasing a rearranged fixture,” Bare said.
There were also doubts over the match between FC Platinum and ZPC Kariba as the former had four players called up for national duty.
But that match, set for Nyamhunga Stadium in Kariba tomorrow, has been cleared to go ahead after ZIFA dropped Walter Musona and Brian Banda from the Warriors squad.
The Zvishavane side have goalkeeper Wallace Magalane and striker Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya in the Warriors squad.
NewsDay understands that FC Platinum are open to Banda and Musona joining the Warriors training camp after the league match.
South Africa based Terrence Dzvukamanja is the other player that has been dropped from the Warriors squad.
Cranborne Bullets midfielder Sylvastar Munhira and Ngezi Platinum Stars striker Delic Murimba have since been called up by Warriors coach Baltemar Brito who is preparing the squad for next month's World Cup qualifiers away to Rwanda and against Nigeria.
Brito has called local and South Africa-based players with only Munashe Garananga of FC Sherriff Tiraspol the only European-based player in the squad.
Matchday 27 fixtures
Tomorrow: Herentals v Yadah (National Sports Stadium), Ngezi Platinum Stars v Chicken Inn (Baobab), Manica Diamonds v Dynamos (POSTPONED), Bulawayo Chiefs v Simba Bhora (Luveve), ZPC Kariba v FC Platinum (Nyamhunga), Black Rhinos v GreenFuel (Bata)
Sunday: Triangle v Hwange (Gibbo), Highlanders v Cranborne Bullets (Barbourfields), Caps United v Sheasham (National Sports Stadium).
