adminRay Bande Senior Sports Reporter
IT is still game on in the fight to escape the dreaded chop in the 2015 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season as bitter rivals in the relegation matrix – Buffaloes and Tsholotsho – are now separated by a single point, with the Bulawayo side to the advantage. It now remains to be seen which of the two will make it as Buffaloes now await their two matches against Triangle (away) and Dynamos (home) while Tsholotsho face Wha Wha (home) and Highlanders (away) in the remaining two rounds of league matches.
One cannot cry over spilt milk, they say, but Buffaloes will certainly look back and blame none but themselves for needlessly being complacent and settled for a one stalemate at Sakubva stadium recently.
As if that was enough, the Mutare side also succumbed to a humiliating 0-1 defeat at the hands of visiting Hwange at same venue, in two back to back home matches that the Mutare side will live to regret if ever they will be relegated.
That Tsholotsho seem to have suddenly found their touch and are posting impressive results both at home and on the road makes it even more complicated for Chaminuka’s men.
Buffaloes secured the all important three points when they dismissed ZPC Kariba 2-1 at Sakubva stadium on Wednesday to keep alive their chances for survival in this riveting Castle Lager Premiership relegation dogfight.
Although they won Wednesday’s match, their rivals in the battle to evade the chop Tsholotsho settled against Chicken Inn for a draw thus Buffaloes still occupy the last relegation spot and are now a point in the red with two matches to go before the season ends.
Their coach Saul Chaminuka, who was barking instructions from the touchline, remains bullish of his chances of escaping relegation. “I think it is still game on. There are two games to go and football being what it is, you can never rule us out. Like I have said before, we are used to being in this situation.
“This is not the first time that Buffaloes is looking forward to survive relegation on the last day of the season. We have done it before and I do not see why we can fail to do it again.
“Yes, it is not going to be a stroll in the park but I think my team has the pedigree to achieve the set target of escaping relegation,’ said Chaminuka in a post match interview at Sakubva on Wednesday. With a little more precision in front of goal, the Mutare soldiers could have scored more goals in the first half in which they were dominating possession and in total control of the match.
Buffaloes could have found the target early when impressive Roy ‘Apama’ Mwenga released a scorcher about 15 yards from the box but his effort was duly dealt with by an alert ZPC Kariba goalkeeper Tendai Hove.
The home team took the lead in the 13th minute when gangling Prosper Matizanadzo employed his height to head home a beauty that nestled in the far right corner of the net off teammate Phillip Chandisaita’s cross.
Jacob Muzokomba then doubled the home team’s lead in the 25th minute with a powerful long range hard and low shot that meandered past a cluster of ZPC Kariba defenders before it fooled Tendai Hove, in goals for the visitors.
However, ZPC Kariba pulled one back in the 63rd minute when the evergreen Manuvire intelligently connected Limited Chikafa’s cross. Thereon the visitors started pilling pressure on their opponents but somehow the equaliser remained elusive until the final whistle. ZPC Kariba gaffer Sunday Chidzambwa said they lost the encounter in the first half.
“I think we lost it in the first half. They got the chances when they were in control of the game in the first half and made the most of those chances. We were now in control of things in the second half but somehow we failed to utilize the chances that we created,’ said Chidzambwa.
Online Reporter