adminRay Bande Mutare Bureau
NGEZI Platinum might have shot back to the top of the Castle Lager Premiership standings but their Warriors international Liberty Chakoroma has warned that it is still early days to put a favourites tag on any team.
Tonderai Ndiraya’s men were at Luveve on Saturday for a date against fellow miners How Mine where a goal each by Partson Jaure and Terrence Dzukamanja either side of the break handed them a 2-1 win.
That victory took Ngezi’s points tally to 40, one ahead of closest rivals Chicken Inn and 4 in front of third and fourth-placed Dynamos and FC Platinum.
Chakoroma, a versatile player who has been used in midfield, attack and at the heart of defence featured in their triumph over How Mine on the same day that Chicken Inn held FC Platinum 1-1 at Mandava and Ocean Mushure’s solitary first half strike handed Dynamos a 1-0 win over Black Rhinos.
Chakoroma, while happy with his team’s performance in which they have won 12 and drawn 4 in 20 games, believes it is still too early to predict who the top-flight league’s champions will be.
But the Sakubva-born Zimbabwe international urged his team to play with the kind of consistency they have shown lately.
The 23-year old Chakoroma, who was part of the 2016 Soccer Stars of the Year finalists list, has become a vital cog in coach Ndiraya’s game plan, commanding a regular place in the starting line-up and featuring in all the league matches except when he was away on Warriros duties.
Chakoroma was part of the triumphant Zimbabwe squad at the 2017 COSAFA Castle Cup in South Africa last month.
The former Buffaloes man, who also attracted interest from some South African clubs insisted that Ngezi Platinum would not be flattered by the slender one-point lead they enjoy at the summit of the Premiership log standings.
“I think it is still game on. We still have everything to fight for. We want to win the league title and we have made no secret about that.
“However that will not come on a silver platter. We will have to work extra hard for that.
“The race for the Premiership title is far from over, in fact, it is still a bit early to talk about it because we have a number of teams that can still challenge for the league title.
“If you look at it closely, Chicken Inn, Dynamos, ZPC Kariba, FC Platinum, How Mine, Black Rhinos, CAPS United and ourselves still have chances of fighting for the title given that some teams will be losing points along the way. Therefore, all we need is to remain consistent and keep collecting as many points as we can,” Chakoroma said.
Chakoroma’s crowning moment with Ngezi came last season when he captained them to the Chibuku Super Cup success.
That achievement in the knock-out tournament also guaranteed Ngezi a maiden dace with the CAF Confederation Cup and Chakoroma reckoned that a feel of the African Safari gave them the experience and confidence to fight for top honours on the domestic front.
“I think we learnt a lot during our participation in the Confederation Cup which came after winning the Chibuku Cup. It was a stepping stone that helped build our confidence.
“We now know we are capable of competing against the best on the domestic front,” Chakoroma said.
Ngezi Platinum powered their way to Chibuku Cup championship last season at the expense of more experienced teams such as fellow platinum miners FC Platinum whom they outplayed in the final.
But after watching his team score 10 goals and conceding four in their last three outings, Chakoroma and his teammates have a reason to move with a spring in their step as they race with the pacesetters.
Online Reporter