BULAWAYO - Chicken Inn head coach Mandla “Lulu” Mpofu will not make any wholesale changes to his team for the trip to the Colliery where they will play Hwange in a Castle Premiership encounter this Sunday.

After a flying start to the 2013 season the Gamecocks have lost their last two league matches but Mpofu says he is not pressing the panic button.

“It’s just a rough patch that we are going through and we won’t panic into making changes to the team as that may be counterproductive,” Mpofu said yesterday.

“We are aware that Hwange are yet to win this year and they will come at us from the onset but we are positive that we will come back with the three points.”

On the other hand, Hwange coach, Nation Dube, believes the weekend match will be a turning point for his side that is yet to garner maximum points in this year’s campaign.

“Our preparations have gone well and I am glad to say that we have a clean bill of health,” Dube said.
“There is an air of expectation amongst the team that we will register out first full set of points this weekend and I believe the boys will deliver.”

Chicken Inn striker Tendai Mukambi, who missed his side’s last couple of games through illness, is back at training and is expected to take over the striking duties from the wasteful Tendai Ndoro.

Ndoro is likely to be moved back to his favoured right wing position where he can use his pace to create chances for the strikers.

Another boost for Mpofu’s men is the return to action by gritty linkman Thabani Goredema, whose work ethic has been missing in Chicken Inn’s midfield.

The Innscor-sponsored outfit sits in mid-table with seven points after winning twice and drawing once.

Hwange anchor the 16 team Castle Premiership log with three points to their credit after drawing thrice and losing the other two of the five matches they have been played so far this season.

The Colliery side will bank on the experience of veterans Gilbert Zulu, Gerald Ndlovu and Farai Vimisai to guide the new crop of players in their search for an elusive win. - Sakheleni Nxumalo

Weekend Fixtures

Monomotapa v Shabanie Mine, Hwange v Chicken Inn, CAPS United v Black Mambas, Harare City v How Mine, Motor Action v Buffaloes, Highlanders v Black Rhinos, FC Platinum v Triangle, Tripple B v Dynamos.