Chicken Inn have every reason to believe

Phineas Mukwazo Sports Editor
IT was a clash pitting the Zimbabwean league champions Chicken Inn and an on fire Absa Premiership log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns. The match was billed to cook up an exciting Caf Champions League first leg preliminary round affair. After all their opponents have been in mesmerising form in the South African PSL. Unbeaten in theirlast 19 matches and a perfect record in their last six, the home side Chicken Inn were never given a chance.

The visitors were seen as a team very much ready to challenge for continental glory and were expected to brush aside a Gamecocks side that had played little competitive football in recent times.

Taking form into consideration for both teams, the visitors were expected to steam roll past Chicken Inn as the Zimbabwean side was still in pre-season mood. It was also expected to be a big warm return back home for one of Zimbabwe’s favourite sons, national team talisman, Khama Billiat, although his allegiance lay with the Pretoria-based outfit.

However, Billiat had to watch the game on the sidelines as he was reportedly nursing an injury suffered in his team’s league match against Orlando Pirates in a mid-week match.

It was Chicken Inn’s first competitive match, a culmination to a luke warm preparatory pre-season and they did not disappoint. Following a winless pre-season tournament a fortnight ago in Zambia, Chicken Inn were not given any chance in hell.

Their Achilles heel was compounded by the fact that they had to play the home match against their South African opponents “away from home”. Their favourite hunting ground Luveve was “cruelly’ condemned by Caf.

At Luveve, Chicken Inn were untouchable having not lost a game there since September last year, losing only on two occasions in the league on their way to clinching the country’s most coveted trophy.

But yesterday they forgot those setbacks as they matched their more “illustrious’’ opponents, pound for pound, and grit for grit, especially in a dream first half where they gave as much as they took against the South Africans, who opted to leave out most of their regulars including their in form goalkeeper Dennis Onyango.

Buoyed by an uncharacteristic 10 000 cheering supporters, Chicken Inn did not disappoint as they silenced the cash rich Sundowns, thanks to a Mitchelle Katsvairo 33rd minute sucker punch that made the difference yesterday, to send us all in that packed BF into a delirium. With a little bit of accuracy in front of goal Chicken Inn could have got healthy three or more goals ahead of the reverse fixture.

But if the truth is to be told the Zimbabwean champions were so wasteful, they will have to up their ante in the return leg in Pretoria in a fortnight if there are to continue with the fairytale.

They created a lot of chances, in either half, they had the visitors defence led by their captain of the day Thabo Nthenthe on the back foot, opening an avenue on the left flank, but failed to capitalise.

The second half exposed the effects of Chicken Inn’s lack of game time and physical fitness as they allowed the visitors a greater say in that vital midfield area where Themba Zwane had a greater say when leading the visitors’ cause.

As for the Sundowns much talked about CBD effect of Leonardo Castro, Keagan Dolly, and Khama Billiat we will live to see it another day. It was, however, evident that the visitors were content with a draw, or a slender loss through their laid back approach in which they never had any meaningful efforts at goal.

But to our own lads, a bird in hand is better than two in the bush. Chicken Inn have ample time to work on their frailties, before what is expected to be a bruising return leg in Pretoria in two weeks time.

Meanwhile, we have every reason to celebrate, but without throwing caution to the wind. Gamecocks, you have every reason to believe.