Chronicle Editor
Ray Bande in Mutare
Manica Diamonds 0-0 Bikita Minerals
MANICA Diamonds coach Jairos Tapera has conceded that his team faces an uphill task in the Castle Lager Premiership race.
Diamonds were held to a 0-0 draw by visiting Bikita Minerals at Sakubva Stadium.
The Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company bankrolled outfit unnecessarily dropped crucial points during the season and now trail log leaders Simba Bhora by 12 points with five matches before the curtain comes down on the 2024 season.
Tapera said: “Yes, it is now tricky for us to challenge for the Castle Lager Premiership title given our form and the number of remaining matches before the season ends.
“We have been performing badly and it was clear from the match we played last week against ZPC Kariba that it will not be easy for us to keep gunning for the title.”
Those who did not attend the match at Sakubva Stadium pitting the two Eastern Region teams did not miss anything as the drab encounter was yet another testimony of plummeting standards of the domestic top-flight league.
Bikita Minerals coach Arnold Jani praised his players for holding on until the final whistle. Jani said his team is geared to maintain its place in the country’s domestic topflight league.
“I think my boys did well to keep us in the game. There was a time that I thought we would win this encounter but unfortunately we failed to score. Such is the nature of the game, we are still happy with that valuable point. We will soldier on from here hoping to collect more points in the remaining matches in order to evade relegation. As a team we do not see ourselves getting relegated,” said Jani.
Online Reporter