Innocent Kurira [email protected]
BULAWAYO Chiefs are refusing to panic as they battle to preserve their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League status, drawing confidence from previous relegation escapes as the season enters its decisive stages.
The Twitter Kings are 14th on the log with 31 points, six ahead of 15th-placed Agama, with four matches remaining in the campaign.
John Nyikadzino’s men will be hoping to strengthen their survival bid when they face Ngezi Platinum Stars on Saturday, knowing that a positive result would ease the pressure as the race to avoid relegation intensifies.
Chiefs need to turn their remaining fixtures into valuable points, with the margin for error narrowing as the season approaches its conclusion.
However, the pressure of a relegation battle is not unfamiliar territory for the Bulawayo side.
Chiefs survived consecutive relegation fights in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, finishing 12th and 13th respectively after collecting 41 points in each campaign.
Those escapes remain a reminder that the club has previously found a way to preserve its top-flight status despite difficult seasons.
Their more recent history, however, provides a cautionary tale. Chiefs were relegated in 2024 after finishing 15th with 36 points, before winning the ZIFA Southern Region Division One title in 2025 to earn an immediate return to the top flight.
The challenge now is to ensure that their latest campaign does not end in another demotion.
Chiefs chief executive officer Thulani “Javas” Sibanda insists there is no reason for alarm, maintaining that the club’s fate remains in their own hands.
“We have no reason to panic because our destiny is still in our hands. We believe in the coach and the players, and we are confident that they will produce the results we need. For now, all is well. There is no panic whatsoever,” said Sibanda.
His confidence will be tested over the remaining four matches, with Saturday’s encounter against Ngezi Platinum Stars offering Chiefs an opportunity to take another important step towards securing their place in the top flight.
