admin
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE Women’s Soccer League leaders Herentals Queens have retained full control of proceedings in the division after Chapungu dismissed Black Rhinos in a tight contest at Heart Stadium B-Arena yesterday.
The defending champions could have been dislodged from the top on goal difference by Rhinos had the Kudakwashe Matuwi team collected the maximum points in the battle of the security forces.
Before the match, Herentals were leading Black Rhinos by three points but with a superior goal difference over Simba Dedza’s girls, the soldiers were going to eclipse Vagoni Vebasa with a win in yesterday’s duel with just four rounds of fixtures remaining in the term.
Instead, it was Chapungu who showed the clout and moved within just a point of Herentals in second position on the log.
Natasha Ndowa and veteran Edline Mutumbami were on target for the Air Force of Zimbabwe side.
The three teams will now be fighting for the honours in the final four games of the season and Chapungu as well as Rhinos will be hoping that Herentals slip in one of their toughest fixtures coming up against fourth-placed Correctional Queens.
While just four games remain before the curtain comes down on the 2024 season and Herentals Queens are the front-runners to defend the title for the third season running, Black Rhinos captain Christabel Katona feels her team can still win the championship.
“The defeat against Chapungu is very deflating, to say the least. We had the chance to climb to the top of the table because we have the biggest goal difference. But we allowed Chapungu to dictate the pace of the game and complete a league double over us.
“I am disappointed, and so is everyone on the team right now. It’s a painful defeat, given what was at stake,” said Katona.
“But look, this is part of the game and it has happened this way. We are to blame for the defeat but we can’t do anything about it now.
“What we can only do right now is to put in the work and make sure that we win all our remaining games. We want to return to the CAF Women’s Champions League.
“We have to win our games and see what happens. We cannot control what happens in other teams’ games but we can only win all our remaining fixtures and hope for the best as long as we do what we are supposed to do.”
Black Rhinos have led the standings for the better part of the season especially after they beat Herentals in their first instalment in June.
However, the Student Queens, have shown a lot of character by doing well in their outstanding fixtures accumulated when they were representing the country in the CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA qualifiers played in Blantyre, Malawi in August.
Interestingly the games were against the best in the league including Black Rhinos themselves, Chapungu, and Platinum Royals.
They drew against the Rhinos and beat both Chapungu and Platinum Royals to assume control of the race.
Online Reporter