NEWBOYS Hardbody will face defending champions Dynamos in their opening game of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League which kicks off on March 31. According to the fixtures released by the

PSL chief executive officer Kenny Ndebele yesterday, the Gweru-based outfit will make their Premiership debut away from home.

But Dynamos coach Callisto Pasuwa and his side should be happy with the fixture which gives them relatively easy assignments in their first two matches where they face newly promoted sides — Hardbody and Buffaloes.

The Harare giants will face the same teams in the closing games of the season.

However, Hardbody are unfazed by the prospect of beginning their campaign against the holders.

The team’s head coach, Tavaka Gumbo, believes his charges are prepared for the Premiership demands as they have set themselves a modest target to survive the first season.

Gumbo, who has previous coaching experience in the Premiership at Hwange, Masvingo and Shabanie Mine yesterday said the Gweru side are not in the league to make up numbers.

“We are prepared for any team,” said Gumbo. “All league games are just alike and what matters most is preparation.

“I believe we have done enough preparations under the circumstances and we have just finalised our squad which we will submit to PSL tomorrow (today).

“We got two players from FC Platinum and the bulk were playing in Division One last year.

“I believe this is their chance to make names and be noticed. The major objective however is to survive relegation in our first season,” said Gumbo.

Hardbody’s promotion from the Zifa Central Region was recently confirmed after successfully appealing against the decision to have 42 points docked from their tally for using a player who was allegedly registered in an improper way.

According to the fixtures, the league will start at a slow pace with the big matches pitting the league’s giants stuffed inside the programme.

Dynamos and CAPS United fans, who usually look forward to the traditional Harare Derby will have to wait until June 17, when the teams clash in Week 12 with the return leg pencilled in for August 26.

Makepekepe will open their account in a cagey affair away in Zvishavane against Shabanie Mine and then host Chicken Inn in their second game.

The Green Machine have said they want to challenge for honours this season and have been preparing hard under new manager Sean Connor and his assistant Lloyd Chitembwe.

They beefed up their squad with new players such as Rahman Kutsanzira, Chris Samakweri, Conrad Whitby, Bulawayo giants Highlanders, who have hit hard times of late, will open their campaign against Blue Rangers, who recently changed their name from Blue Ribbon after severing ties with the company that sponsored them.

Bosso’s new coach Kevin Kaindu will get an early test in their second game against FC Platinum, probably in a midweek fixture, as the platinum miners will be involved in the Champions League over the same weekend of April 7-8.

Then the Battle of Zimbabwe between Dynamos and Highlanders will take place in Week Five, with the first match scheduled for Barbourfields on April 29.

The Zvishavane derby between FC Platinum and Shabanie Mine is expected over the weekend of April 21-22.

PSL chief executive Ndebele indicated that there will be a number of mid-week fixtures in June when the national team will be involved in the Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifiers.

Ndebele also said all postponed games will be rescheduled in the midweek.

According to the fixture the BancABC Sup8r Cup will start in July and the final on the weekend of September 5-6. The Mbada Diamonds Cup final will bring the curtain down on December 1.