adminSenior Sports Reporter
MANICALAND based teams in the domestic top flight league – Buffaloes and Dongo Sawmills – will resume their fight to evade relegation when they entertain Tsholotsho and Highlanders, respectively.
Buffaloes and Dongo have been first two teams to play a Manicaland Premiership derby in history but their performance in the league has been a bad advert to standards of the game of football in the south eastern province.
Dongo, for example, has literally personalised the basement position which they have been occupying since the start of the 2015 Castle Lager Premiership season.
Their chances of surviving relegation are now paper thin and given the fact that they will face some championship chasing teams in the remaining six rounds of league matches, it is highly likely that the Rusape outfit will not be part of the big boys’ league next season.
Team financier Francis Dongo said his team will fight to the bitter end.
“I think mathematically we still have a chance to survive and we will accordingly fight to the bitter end. We cannot afford to just throw in the towel before it is game over.
“I am quite aware that our remaining fixtures are not that easy but that is nature of the game. One will never have easy fixtures especially at this stage of the season. We will give it our best shot and try to ensure that Rusape enjoys Premiership football once again next season,” said Dongo.
Buffaloes’ spokesperson Gladman Chimonyo said he is confident that the Mutare army outfit will escape the dreaded chop.
“We are confident that we will survive. Yes, it is not going to be easy but we will do our best to ensure that we remain in the Premiership for the sake of Mutare football lovers as well as talented youths in Mutare who would want a platform to market their talents.
“In fact, we are in a position that might see us ending the season among the top six depending on how we perform in the remaining six matches. All we want is our fans to throng Sakubva Stadium in their numbers and render support to the boys as they fight for Mutare’s Premiership slot,’ said Chimonyo.
To their advantage, Buffaloes have four matches at home among the remaining six matches and only if they can utilise home advantage, the Saul Chaminuka-coached outfit might surprise all and sundry by ending the season in the top six.
Online Reporter