ADVANTAGE KEPEKEPE!

Senior Sports Reporter
THE destiny of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League championship could be decided this afternoon if Caps United beat Ngezi Platinum at the National Sports Stadium and Highlanders conquer FC Platinum at Mandava.

In the event log leaders Caps United and second-placed FC Platinum are victorious, the champions will only be known on the last day of the season with both teams playing away from home. Caps United travel to Gweru to face Chapungu while FC Platinum are away to Tsholotsho in Bulawayo in week 30.

For Highlanders, all they need is victory today and hope that Ngezi Platinum Stars beat or hold Caps United with an opportunity to win it if Makepekepe do not get maximum points against Chapungu while Amahlolanyama beat Hwange at Emagumeni on the last day. FC Platinum will also be praying for a Caps United loss or draw in order for them to stand a chance of landing their maiden championship if Kugona Kunenge Kudada are successful over Amahlolanyama.

A closer look at how the four teams fared against each other at the beginning of the season will show that Caps United managed a point away from home against Ngezi Platinum Stars with a 1-1 draw at Baobab Stadium with FC Platinum beating Highlanders 2-1 at Barbourfields.

What is clear is that Highlanders, who blew their chances with a shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of Tsholotsho at the end of last month need nothing but a win over FC Platinum to remain in the race, provided that Ngezi Platinum do them a favour against Caps United.

In 2014, Caps United did Dynamos a favour when they beat ZPC Kariba 3-2 at Gwanzura Stadium in 2014 to deny the electricity generators their maiden title. Dynamos profited from that as they defeated How Mine 2-0 to be crowned champions.

Caps United have the championship to lose and Lloyd Chitembwe’s boys can make sure they are crowned Zimbabwean club football champions for the first time since 2005 if they collect the six points on offer against Ngezi Platinum Stars and Chapungu.

Highlanders coach Erol Akbay seemed to have thrown in the towel when he lost to Tsholotsho but has since declared that they are still in the race to win the championship. Norman Mapeza the FC Platinum mentor appeared to have also given up when he lost 2-1 to Harare City and was held to a 1-1 stalemate by the Tonderai Ndiraya coached Ngezi Platinum Stars. A 2-0 victory over Chapungu on the same day Highlanders came out second best against Tsholotsho saw the belief return for Mapeza, who won the 2008 championship with the now defunct Monomotapa.

What should give Akbay the belief is that Bosso have not had a hard time in the last two seasons at Mandava. In 2014, Charles Sibanda’s solitary goal gave Highlanders a 1-0 victory and last season Highlanders held FC Platinum to a 2-2 draw with their former strikers Knox Mutizwa and Obadiah Tarumbwa with the goals. Highlanders could have won that encounter had Mutizwa’s goal not been controversially disallowed.

Akbay has already achieved his target of finishing in the top four with Bosso guaranteed of a place among the best three teams come end of the season but if the Dutchman can land the championship in his first season, he can endear himself to the hard to please Highlanders fans.

In other matches lined up for this afternoon, Hwange have a chance to use home advantage to steer clear of the relegation zone as it is unclear how many teams will go down at the end of the season. Chipangano face Chapungu who are equally not out of trouble as they went into this weekend’s matches fourth from bottom and if the resolution made at the Zimbabwe Football Assembly stands they will be relegated. Last year champions Chicken Inn face already relegated Border Strikers while Triangle are at home to Dynamos.

Yesterday

Tsholotsho 1-2 Bulawayo City

Mutare City 2-2 Harare City

ZPC Kariba 0-0 How Mine

Fixtures: Today

FC Platinum v Higlanders (Supersport); Hwange v Chapungu; Caps United v Ngezi Platinum; Triangle v Dynamos, Chicken Inn v Border Strikers.

@Mdawini_29