NAPSA Stars Football Club Head Coach Perry Mutapa has reviewed week-29 of the MTN Super League in a Pre-match Press briefing held with the media via zoom this morning.
This match will see the Pensioners host Green Buffalos FC at Heroes Stadium at 15hours.
NAPSA Stars lost to GBFC by two goals to nil in the first round of the season.
Coach Perry, you face GBFC in a reverse fixture at Heroes Stadium tomorrow, what are your expectations from the match?
Big game, local derby never easy, but this is our home game I think the last encounter we lost to them, but this is the second round, six games to go, being at home we need the maximum points, but football has three results, but our aim is to win.
How many points are you targeting from the remaining games?
In football you always want to win all the games but football being what it is, there are only three results and even before coming to this game, we have drawn, won, and lost, and when preparing we aim to get maximum points which this game is no different. Preparations have gone on so well and we are looking forward to winning this game.
You have been on a good run, winning the last three games, going into a game against GBFC who have not done so well, and you have a chance to get close to the top, do you think you have an edge going into this encounter despite having lost in the first round?
Like I said, football is a game of three results and for us coming from the lower division, we always want to do well, we want to stay in the Super League, and I think that the dream of cementing our place in this topflight is very much alive and we are looking forward to this game. We have done so well in the last games so if we get maximum points then we are okay. The pressure is on GBFC because they have been in the top four since the league started, but for us all we want for now is to make sure we cement our place in the league, especially that we are coming from the lower Division.
Games between you and coach Masauso are always interesting, does this fixture become more interesting looking at how you lost in the first round?
This is NAPSA Stars Vs Green Buffalos and not Perry vs Masauso, and pressure is on GBFC who would not want to lose their top four slot. If we win tomorrow, more pressure will be on teams because they have always been in the top four. We are on the winning streak, and we want to continue that and taking each game as it comes.
Who are the players that are available for this match, any injury concerns?
Our Captain Luka Banda is out because he was sent off in the last game, we have a doubt on Dickson Chapa and Musonda Kabengele who were nursing injuries.
Leonard Mulenga and Fredrick Mwimanzi are out because we are playing their parent club. And this is something that can be looked into in future because if we can see European Clubs feature players playing against their parent clubs, this can be the same here in Africa too.