Online Reporter
Tendai Chara
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE MCM Estates Northern Region Soccer League is proving more competitive by the day, with the title-chasing pack trading places at the top after another busy weekend of action.
Black Rhinos stamped their authority on the standings after beating PAM 3-1 on Sunday, opening up a crucial two-point lead at the summit.
Out of 18 matches played so far, Rhinos have been dominant — recording nine wins, seven draws, and only two losses.
Their strength, however, goes beyond results.
The log leaders have scored 18 goals while conceding just seven, the least in the league so far this season.
The goals that Rhinos have scored are fewer than the goals that have so far been scored by other title-chasing teams.
This trend indicates that their defensive organisation is outmatching their attacking output.
By this weekend’s results, Rhinos have accumulated 34 points, reinforcing their position as the team to beat.
A major blow to the title ambitions of Harare City came at Rimuka Stadium, where G&T Mining dented their charge with a 1-0 win.
The loss saw Harare City slip into second place with 32 points. Like Black Rhinos, City have won nine matches, but the difference has been results in the losses column —they have dropped one more game than the league leaders.
City’s goals tell part of the story. They have found the back of the net 22 times, which is four more than Rhinos, but they have also conceded three more goals than Black Rhinos, undermining their bid to match the leaders’ defensive solidity.
Ngezi U-19 remain third with 29 points, keeping themselves firmly in contention after a resilient display.
In the race behind the leaders, Ngezi U19 played to a 1-1 draw against Karo United, ensuring they stayed within touching distance of the top two.
Meanwhile, Chingwere made their own statement after beating Golden Eagles 1-0 at Ellis Robins. The win propelled Chingwere up to fourth position.
Chingwere currently sit on the same points as fifth-placed G&T Mining, though the standings remain tight due to an inferior goal difference.
At Ngoni Stadium, MWOS U19 delivered a convincing 2-0 victory over Marere, condemning the Sanyati-based side to the bottom of the log standings.
The weekend also produced a number of tightly contested matches, with Chegutu Pirates drawing 0-0 with FC Oden.
Cranborne Bullets and Banket United also played out a 1-1 draw on Saturday.
Jumbo Giants suffered a 0-1 defeat to Highrange, with Zambezi Gas and Coal sharing the spoils after a 0-0 draw against Shamva.
Shamva remains positioned second from bottom.
CP Chemicals were the biggest winners of the weekend, thumping Batanai 4-0.Black Mambas and Rangers played to a goalless draw.
With only a little separation between the top teams and the chasing pack starting to gather momentum, the Northern Region Soccer League is fast becoming a high-stakes contest — one in which defensive resilience and consistency may ultimately decide the champions.
