CHAMPS IN CHARGE

Bruce Chikuni

FC Platinum are walking with a spring in their step after stretching their lead at the top of the standings to 11 points.

Close rivals Dynamos eased the pressure on the defending champions after losing 0-1 to Ngezi Platinum Stars over the weekend.

The champions had set the pace for the Glamour Boys, by getting the better of Bulawayo City on Saturday.

Walter Musona’s 53th minute strike was all they needed to bag maximum points.

It was Musona’s eighth goal of the season and the former Polokwane City man is proving to be a force once again at Mandava.

It will take a miracle to deny the Zvishavane miners their fourth successive league crown, with just six games left to play, before the season ends.

FC Platinum are making a good case to force their name on the list of two teams so far which have achieved the same milestone.

Callisto Pasuwa’s Glamour Boys were the last team to win four successive titles.

Prior to that, the Dynamos team of 1980 to 1983 were the first to achieve such a feat.

Highlanders also won four on the bounce at the turn of the millennium.

Despite being written off, at the start of this campaign, Mapeza appears to be too good for his counterparts.

“I’m not paying attention to the championship matrix,” said Mapeza.

“I’m more worried about our next games, that is my biggest concern.

“I will lose everything, if I go home and start asking myself questions like who is scoring, who is getting the job done and how many games do we need to win?

“We have shifted our focus to our next fixture, which is against Highlanders.”

Their reverse assignment against Bosso did not have a happy ending.

The match had to be abandoned in the dying stages as fans invaded the pitch in protest against a ghost penalty which was awarded to Mapeza’s men.

A lot will be at stake since the game will have a lot of impact in determining Highlanders’ fate in their battle for a top four finish.