onlinemedia
Yemurai Dyakonda
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE riveting Northern Region Soccer League championship title race enters its home stretch this week with log leaders N’ombeyawora and second-placed Agama needing to avoid slipping on the potential banana skins which their remaining fixtures present.
N’ombeyawora, with 76 points to their name, enjoy a one-point advantage over second-placed Agama.
However, there are still five Match-day fixtures to fulfil for either side and that period, which Legendary former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson famously called “squeaky bum time”, starts this Friday with N’ombeyawora and Agama facing cagey assignments.
In fact, none of the two title-chasers’ opponents can be said to be easy prey.
This is because the bulk of the teams, which coaches Nesbert “Yabo’’ Saruchera for N’ombeyawora and Agama’s Paul “Popo’’ Chimalizeni must tackle, have their own battles to fight.
Those teams are fighting for their survival against a demotion into the Division 2 leagues and none seems prepared to go down with providing a Pitbull’s fight.
But for Chimalizeni and the Agama family, they are in no mood to let slip.
“We are just playing our games with caution because we are aware that any slip-up and we are out of it, so every game is like a cup game for us.
“We know it will not be easy, but like I said, every match is a must-win, and we will see where we will be at the end of the season because we really want it (the title),’’ Chimalizeni said.
Chimalizeni is eager to bring Premiership football to Mt Darwin with Agama.
Agama travel to Harare on Friday to face Black Rhinos at Commando Barracks before welcoming another army side Cranborne Bullets, at Pfura Stadium in Mt Darwin next Wednesday.
Saruchera, who must overcome third-placed Golden Eagles in his next assignment before he travels to face Shamva Mine, noted that none of the Northern Region sides can be underestimated.
“All our remaining games are not easy,’’ Saruchera said.
“In the Northern Region it’s always like that — no easy games — so we need to be prepared all the time.
“You have a team like Chegutu Pirates . . . yes, it’s a good team being coached by the seasoned Bambo (Moses Chunga) and that is not going to be easy again.”
Saruchera, a serial NRSL championship winner, attributed N’ombeyawora’s longevity at the summit of the table to the depth within the ambitious and big-spending newboys have.
“Obviously when approaching towards the end of the season issues like fatigue come into play but it’s manageable if you have a big squad and for us that is what has been helping us.”
Chimalizeni acknowledged as much on the significance of depth, adding that he has had to rely on squad rotation to overcome the challenges brought about by fatigue.
“For sure fatigue is a challenge for us, but we have enough players who can do the job, and we are rotating them to avoid fatigue.
“In training we have also reduced the load to avoid fatigue,’’ Chimalizeni said.
Online Reporter