adminRicky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
SOUTHERN Region Soccer League title favourites Bulawayo City have taken the diplomatic stance of playing down their chances despite opening a two-point lead at the top of the table. City have a watertight defence, which has only conceded four goals in 16 matches, and are the most lethal team in the league with 23 goals.
They took their points tally to 36 on Saturday after edging Old Nic Mine 1-0 courtesy of a Bothwell Nyathi goal.
Jerry Sibanda, City’s chairman, showered praise on his technical team and the players for reaching the halfway mark at the top.
“Being newcomers, I think we’ve surpassed everyone’s expectations and now the challenge is to finish the second half strongly. To be honest, we’ll be content if the community enjoys and finds satisfactory entertainment from the team’s play,” said Sibanda.
“We’re not worried about the championship because the objective is to give valuable entertainment to the people of Bulawayo and we’re doing so looking at a top three finish. We’ve an experienced technical team and dedicated players that are giving their best to provide an entertaining product.”
City are facing a strong title challenge from rivals Bulawayo Chiefs, who also beat Ntabazinduna 1-0.
June’s Southern Region top goal scorer Kundishora Chakanyuka was on target for Chiefs.
Sibanda, a former Highlanders treasurer, said they are fortunate to have kept all their players so far during this mid-season transfer window.
“We’re looking forward to a more demanding second half of the season, hence the reason to set a realistic target of a respectable top three finish. We’re lucky in the sense that none of our good players have left us for the topflight, despite the fact that most of them can easily walk into the Premiership.
“We’ve even beefed up our side with experienced players so that we compete well against the likes of Chiefs, Bantu Rovers, Technosphere and Black Boots, who’ve been in the league for a long time,” he said.
Ex-Bosso skipper Innocent Mapuranga, Lewis “Rambo” Ncube, Arnold “Poonkie” Ndiweni and former Ajax Cape Town and Highlanders striker Simba Sithole are some of City’s midseason additions.
Sibanda said they would be loaning out some of their players to clubs in Bulawayo to enable them to get game time.
Besides Chiefs, City’s other challengers for the championship are dark horses Technosphere, who beat Bantu Rovers 1-0 in Hwange.
Technosphere have always been good second half of the season performers, and despite being 11 points behind City, the table toppers know that any slip ups could prove costly.
Just like City, Casmyn, who are in their first season in the league, have done well and are third with 29 points. The gold miners played to a 1-1 draw at home against Nust to remain seven points behind City.
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