THE Castle Lager Premiership football will take a break this weekend for the Easter Holidays.
The league resumes on April 23 with a full Week 12 programme.
The intermission will also afford the traditional two big teams, Dynamos and Highlanders, to focus on the Presidential Independence Day Trophy that will be played at Barbourfields on Monday. The country's flagship teams are set to clash in the invitational tournament which is being organised by the Government as part of the country's 42nd Independence Day celebrations on April 18.
The principal sponsors of the two clubs, Sakunda Holdings, are planning to come up "with something big" for the tournament, and the break also gives ample time to the two giants to prepare and focus on the Uhuru Trophy.
In a statement, the Premier Soccer League confirmed the interlude that is the first one since the league resumed on February 12. The league went on a long break in December to pave way for the African Cup of Nations finals that were held between January and February in Cameroon.
"We take a break this weekend for the Easter holidays. The Castle Lager PSL action resumes on the 23rd of April 2022," wrote the league yesterday.
Chicken Inn coach Joey "Mafero" Antipas, who won the first two monthly awards after he was named the Castle Lager Coach of the Month for February and March, welcomed the break. Antipas was rewarded for leading his team on a run of seven games unbeaten in the two months since the PSL football returned from the extended Christmas holidays and AFCON 2021 break.
"I am good with the break. I am happy to have a break during the Easter Holidays and get some time to be with family. It is good to be with your family over Easter," said Antipas.
In addition, Antipas says the break will give time to some of his players to fully recover and recharge their batteries, especially after a bad weekend where the former pacesetters were humbled 0-3 by Whawha to surrender their pole position to rivals Dynamos.
The two are now joint log leaders with 23 points, and the Glamour Boys are on top by virtue of a superior goal difference.
"We have a couple of knocks here and there. So this break will help the players to recover. The players will also have time to reflect on how we have been playing thus far. It is also a wake-up call for them after that defeat to Whawha.
"When we return, we will play against Bulawayo City in a derby match. And if they treat the game with the same approach they had against Whawha, surely they will get punished again," said Antipas.
The coach says apart from complacency, everything went wrong for the team on Saturday. "Everything just went wrong. We made some schoolboy errors, so we really have a lot to do in our next game," he said.
Chicken Inn will take a break tomorrow and resume their training next Tuesday.
The resumption of the league matches will be headlined by a blockbuster game between FC Platinum and Highlanders at Mandava next Saturday. FC Platinum have regained their form after stuttering a few weeks ago. The youthful squad, which is being assembled by mentor Norman Mapeza, appears to be gelling.
Mapeza had rallied behind the boys and called for his young players to be given more time.
Fixtures
Saturday 23 April: Tenax v Yadah (Sakubva), Harare City v Black Rhinos (National Sports Stadium), FC Platinum v Highlanders (Mandava), Chicken Inn v Bulawayo City (Luveve), ZPC Kariba v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Mandava).
Sunday 24 April: Cranborne Bullets v Herentals (Sakubva), Dynamos v Manica Diamonds (National Sports Stadium), Bulawayo Chiefs v Whawha (Luveve), Triangle United v CAPS United (Gibbo).
Artmotion S.Africa
