adminEddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
CLIVE AUGUSTO might have left the Premiership three months ago for South Africa but the 14 goals he scored for Chicken Inn are proving to be a handful for competitors.
Augusto’s bid in the race for this year’s Castle Lager Premiership Golden Boot still stands strong despite featuring only in the first half of the season.
The 25-year-old played 17 games for the Gamecocks and scored 14 times before attracting the attention of modest South African Premiership side Maritzburg United.
In a serious indictment of the local players, Augusto’s tally is yet to be matched by anyone even though 11 more games have been played since his departure in August.
Augusto, who started the season on fire, was probably the only player who had the capacity to cross the 20-goal barrier for the first time since Norman Maroto in 2010.
The lanky forward dominated the domestic Premiership before he left, winning three Player of the Month awards on the bounce.
But he has had a slow start to life in the Supa Disk where he has featured in only two league games and is yet to open his account for his new club.
With five games remaining in the Castle Lager Premiership, it looks like the Golden Boot race will be another low-scoring affair.
The Golden Boot winners, in the last two seasons Dominic Chungwa and Rodwell Chinyengetere, had 17 goals apiece.
Dynamos’ Evans Katema, who scored his 11th goal of the season last Sunday when the Glamour Boys drew 1-1 with Highlanders at Rufaro, is in second place behind Augusto.
But, like many other players, he has not been scoring regularly and had to miss almost a month of action after he got injured during the national team’s preparations for the CHAN qualifiers.
“It is not like we don’t have good strikers here but the tactics that are being used do not promote open play and strikers to thrive,’’ said Katema.
“I think teams these days are becoming too cautious and very defensive. No one wants to lose games so it becomes very difficult to break down the defences.
“But, as for me, I think I have done well. My target at the start of the season was to reach double figures and I have managed that. My next step now is to better the tally.
“I am confident more goals will come in the remaining five games if I don’t pick up injuries. I feel I have a good chance to fight for the Golden Boot more than anyone else.
“Unfortunately, I missed some games in the previous month because of injury. If you remember well I got injured when I was enjoying good form.’’
CAPS United’s Joel Ngodzo is in third place in the race with 10 goals while his teammate John Zhuwawu is a distant fourth on eight goals.
Highlanders’ Prince Dube has also hit top form, of late, but missed the previous two games because of a red card he picked at ZPC Kariba and this could derail his momentum.
He has taken his tally to six goals following a month of blitzkrieg which won him the Castle Lager and Footballers Union of Zimbabwe Player of the Month awards for September.
Online Reporter