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Fungai Muderere
THE 2024 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) action will conclude over the weekend with focus being on relegation-threatened sides.
A few days ago, Chegutu Pirates became the second team to be relegated despite stunning CAPS United 2-0 at Baobab Stadium.
The victory took Chegutu Pirates’ tally to 32 points from 33 matches, but they can no longer finish among the top 14, whose cut off point is 36 points.
Chegutu Pirates joined fellow newcomers Arenel Movers in going back to Division One after just one season in the Premiership.
A third newcomer, Bikita Minerals will on Saturday battle it out with Hwange at Wadzanai Stadium and Bulawayo Chiefs will face Manica Diamonds at Mutare’s Sakubva Stadium in determining the remaining two teams to be relegated on the final day of the season.
Hwange are far from safe despite a dramatic 4-3 win over Highlanders in their Week 33 encounter that was played at the Colliery Stadium.
They need an outright win just like their opponents Bikita Minerals. ZPC Kariba will play host to league champions Simba Bhora at Nyamhunga Stadium.
Meanwhile, Dynamos coach Lloyd “Mablanyo” Chigowe says they withheld their arsenal against Ngezi Platinum in a re-arranged Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at the Baobab Stadium on Saturday as a grand plan for the Chibuku Super Cup final at Rufaro on November 30.
The two teams will clash in a repeat of last year’s final, which Dynamos won at Baobab and, in the process, secured a ticket into the Caf Confederation Cup.
Lloyd MaBlanyo Chigowe
With Simba Bhora dethroning Ngezi Platinum as Zimbabwe champions, the focus is now on the remaining silverware and Dynamos are now entirely focused on the final, even at the expense of a respectable position on the final Premiership standings.
On Saturday, Dynamos put up a disappointing show in the first half allowing Ngezi Platinum to take a 2-0 lead.
The second half was much better for the visitors although the hosts still had opportunities to win by a bigger margin.
“Not good on our part but at least we’ve got time to do our homework. I think it’s a mix of both (giving youngsters a chance and withholding tactics), you don’t throw your aces and you don’t show your hand before the big one but we would have wanted to avoid defeat.
“There is going to be a lot of analysis that we will do and make corrections here and there because we cannot afford to lose both games. We will look into the finer details and hopefully, we will make amends.
“Our chances are very slim because we are going away to GreenFuel. We hope to collect three points and see where we end up from there.”
Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Week 34 Fixtures
Saturday: Bikita Minerals v Hwange (Wadzanayi), Greenfuel v Dynamos (Greenfuel Arena), Manica Diamonds v Bulawayo Chiefs ((Sakubva), ZPC Kariba v Simba Bhora (Nyamhunga), FC Platinum v TelOne (Mandava), Arenel Movers v Chegutu Pirates (Luveve), Herentals v Chicken Inn (Rufaro),
Sunday: Highlanders v Yadah (Barbourfields), CAPS United v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Rufaro)
—@FungaiMuderere
Online Reporter