Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo
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IN the Premier Soccer League, coaches often say “it’s still early days” in pre-match and post-match interviews but the reality is that games are coming thick and fast. However, one coach, Highlanders’ Baltemar Brito, has boldly declared his team’s ambitions to be at the top.
This means that Highlanders’ title ambitions are in the open and while others are keeping their season’s targets a secret, the country’s oldest team which last won the league championship in 2006 is going for glory.
Heading to Match Day 7 to face Hwange, Highlanders with a game in hand against old foes Dynamos, are second on the table with 11 points, just one behind leaders Caps United who are involved in the Harare derby against DeMbare.
Depending how one views the weekend clashes, they are explosive, top-drawer encounters.
These are games that bring the best out of the players and footballers know what is at stake, the history behind the clashes as well as consistency to achieve their targets.
While coaches continue with their fallacy that the championship race is still in its infancy, it’s a marathon, at the back of their minds they are aware that if they fall off the chasing pack, they will be left to fight for survival.
In actual fact, who starts off the Premiership without the goal of being Zimbabwe’s football champions at the end of the season? What footie star deep in his heart, doesn’t want to win the championship come end of the season?
From the players’ end, they have also become accustomed to this misconception that it’s early days when weeks are passing by, with scouts monitoring their progress with the hope of spotting talent for the outside market in winter.
It is in the “early days” of the season where potential stars are spotted and as matches go by, the players who would have been in bright form draw the attention of both media coverage as well as fans who monitor their progress.
Saturday Chronicle takes a look at some of the players who have managed to draw the spotlight with their performances.
Goalkeepers:
Statistics are used most of the time to determine goalkeepers’ performances. Caps United’s Tonderai Mateyaunga and Highlanders’ Ariel Sibanda have each conceded a goal this season, with the former doing so in six games while the latter has played five matches.
Chicken Inn’s Donovan Bernard is on two goals.
Signed from Bulawayo Chiefs, Triangle United’s 22-year-old goalie Matripples Muleya is proving his mettle, only conceding three goals so far. The Makokoba-bred footie is one arguably one of the country’s brightest goalkeeper prospects.
It hasn’t been a good start for the two goal minders who made it to last season’s Soccer Star of the Year calendar, with reigning Goalkeeper of the Year Nelson Chadya of Ngezi Platinum Stars as well as FC Platinum’s Wallace Magalane having conceded six goals so far.
Defenders:
Fans have been asking how on earth Bulawayo City was relegated when they had good players. The question keeps popping up after every Chicken Inn’s outing as the central defence partnership of Mpumelelo Bhebhe and Dominic Jaricha has been superb. The duo has been watertight, only breached in one match when they conceded two goals in their clash against Bulawayo Chiefs.
Bulawayo Chiefs gaffer Lizwe Sweswe has launched unheralded fullbacks 20-year-old Brian Rusinga who was signed from Talen Vision and Kim Joe Sibanda (22) who joined the club from Ngezi Platinum Stars.
The duo has been impressive for Bulawayo Chiefs, being calm and timely with their tackles. They are proving to be good buys for the Chibuku Super Cup champions.
Midfielders:
No doubt, Dynamos’ Tanaka Shandirwa is proving to be a grafter at DeMbare. Nicknamed Kante, Shandirwa has been the heartbeat at DeMbare and his character comes to test tomorrow in the Harare derby against Caps United. Will he be able to match the experienced Caps United’s midfield duo of Devon Chafa and Blessing Sarupinda?
Darlington Mukuli (22) is having a brilliant start for Highlanders, where he has been playing as a double-anchorman with Melikhaya Ncube. Mukuli has also mastered the art of covering for the wingbacks when they venture upfront. The Bosso90 product is growing confident with every outing.
Livewire ZPC Kariba winger Tino Chinunye is proving to be a hot potato with consistent performances for the power generators.
Also impressive in midfield is Bulawayo Chiefs’ Mthokozisi Msebe (23) who is continuing from his last season’s form, enjoying the freedom given to him by Sweswe. Msebe, with two goals and two assists was on target when Bulawayo Chiefs drew 2-2 with Chicken Inn and also found the back of the net in their 3-2 away win at Dynamos.
Strikers:
Twenty-four-year-old Brighton Makopa, the league’s leading scorer with four goals is having a good start for premiership returnees Hwange. Tomorrow, he faces his former club Highlanders where he played for the juniors and this is a big moment for the coalminers’ gunslinger.
It will be folly to overlook the technically gifted Soccer Star of the Year Walter Musona, a nightmare for most opponents. The FC Platinum attacker has scored two goals so far and he is pure class that is admirable. — @ZililoR
Online Reporter