RENOWNED sports scientist and football coach Joseph Sibindi says teams that were using the National Sports Stadium before the break should brace for challenging times and manage players’ recovery if they entertain hopes of posting positive results.
Dynamos, Caps United, Herentals, Yadah, Cranborne Bullets, Black Rhinos and Simba Bhora have been forced to look for alternative home venues after the closure of the biggest stadium in the country.
With Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matches resuming on Saturday, Harare giants Dynamos and Caps United, who are crowd pullers are likely to be the most affected alongside Black Rhinos as they have settled for Gweru’s Bata Stadium and Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo.
Simba Bhora have found lodgings at Ngezi Platinum Stars’ home ground, Baobab Stadium with Cranborne Bullets, Yadah and Herentals likely to share Morris Depot in the event that the PSL secures the venue soon.
On the programme which kicks off this weekend, Morris Depot is not included in the fixtures.
Faced with travelling at least a total of 600km every week from the capital to Gweru or 880km for a trip to Bulawayo, the teams that have adopted Barbourfields and Bata should not only budget extra resources but should find a away of avoiding players fatigue.
Sibindi, a sports science lecturer at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) warned of a drop of form for the Harare teams.
“The challenges they might face relate to rest and recovery. It will depend on the teams’ travelling schedule which affects blood circulation. Some athletes find it difficult to sleep after travelling, something that affects rest and recovery.
“On the other hand, everything you do has psychological implications. They (teams) know they can play before their fans, but those weekly trips to Bulawayo and Gweru could affect mental preparedness and physical adaptation. The cumulative travelling will affect performance owing to lack of rest”.
Sibindi said teams’ training schedule was likely to be compromised hence the need to find ways of overcoming these challenges.
Getting hot baths, massages or steaming in saunas are some of the things that can help condition the players.
Dynamos, sixth on the table with 18 points after 12 games, trail leaders Ngezi Platinum Stars by five points and playing outside Harare could see their championship hopes going up in flames. Caps United, a point behind Dynamos also face the same predicament as their across town rivals. League anchors Black Rhinos could struggle to move out of the relegation zone if they fail to manage players’ recovery.
They start the new programme with a home match in Gweru where they will play against Dynamos at Bata Stadium on Sunday. – The Chronicle
