BULAWAYO Chiefs’ man-of-the-moment Obriel Chirinda is confident that the Ninjas can knock Highlanders out of the Chibuku Super Cup when the two teams clash in a first round tie at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.
Chirinda, who was on Highlanders’ radar during the July transfer window, is the leading scorer in the 2023 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season with nine goals.
His team is targeting to retain the Chibuku Super Cup and march on to the Confederation Cup.
The Ninjas bundled Highlanders out of the Chibuku Super Cup last year, beating them 1-0 in the quarter-finals through a goal by captain Malvin Mkolo and they went on to lift the silverware, their first major trophy in the top league, with another 1-0 victory over Herentals at BF.
Arthur Musiyiwa, who crossed the floor to giants Dynamos, was on target in the final.
Chirinda saw red on a second bookable offence two minutes before the final whistle when they booted out Highlanders last year.
“We are playing Highlanders in the Chibuku Super Cup and we are the defending champions and that gives us motivation and playing Highlanders is in itself good motivation,” the Ninjas forward said.
“Highlanders are a big team and playing them will give us confidence. We have to do our best to defend the title and beating Highlanders will be a stepping stone in that quest.”
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He said he was not fazed by the weight of expectation which has come with the form that he has been in.
“I am not under pressure at all and these are my kind of games,” Chirinda said.
Mkolo, whose goal sunk Highlanders last year, said they were happy to go into the match as underdogs, with Highlanders riding on a rich vein of form.
“We have to defend the Chibuku Super Cup at all costs but it is going to be a tough match playing against Highlanders who are in top form and have gone 18 games unbeaten. We are going to fight. Playing Highlanders in front of a big crowd is a motivation on its own,” Mkolo said.
In the first round of the Chibuku Super Cup last year, The Ninjas felled ZPC Kariba and went on to beat Highlanders in the quarter-finals by similar 1-0 score lines.
They beat Black Rhinos 5-4 in a penalty shootout in the semi-final after a goalless deadlock in regulation time before lifting the trophy after edging Herentals 1-0 at BF last November.
Chiefs missed out on a chance to represent the country in the Caf Confederation Cup as Zifa was under suspension from Fifa.
