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Premiership rivals Dynamos and FC Platinum might have lost the league race to new champions Chicken Inn but the race for the silver medal is on in the final matches at the weekend.
Outgoing champions Dynamos will finish their campaign away at relegation-threatened Buffaloes on Saturday while on the same day FC Platinum will be at Vengere for a date against Dongo Sawmill, who were the first team to sink this year.
Chicken Inn, who are enjoying an unassailable four-point cushion at the top of the table, will be playing for fun against relegated Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services side Flame Lily.
And, unlike the previous five years, there will be no last day drama as the top after the Gamecocks amassed 58 points against FC Platinum’s 54 with the final round matches remaining.
FC Platinum had a genuine chance to stretch this year’s race into the last day but they lost the plot in their last two outings when they were held to identical 1-1 draws by Flame Lily and CAPS United.
They are tied on points with Dynamos but to their credit they have a strong goal difference. Norman Mapeza, however, will miss the suspended pair of Tatenda Dzumbunu and Winston Mhango for the last match against Flame Lily.
They need to win the match to ensure a strong finish. Dynamos on the other hand will be hoping for a slip-up by the platinum miners and win their match at Buffaloes to get consolation after surrendering the title they had dominated in the last four years.
Triangle have secured fourth place and their visit to Hwange this Sunday will be more of a dead rubber.
This is despite a promising start which saw them regularly featuring in pole position, before running out of steam.
The Lowveld side, however, could be sitting on a time-bomb which may derail plans for next season as the bulk of their players are reportedly not keen to take up new contracts unless they get improved terms.
Kelvin Kaindu’s men had a tumultuous second half of the season and are likely to face fresh challenges at the end of the year as most of the players’ contracts will be coming to an end at the same time.
Most of the players at Triangle were given three-year contracts when the side was promoted at the beginning of 2013.
The bulk of these are set to end on December 31, which means the club would be required to fetch more from their coffers to tie down the players.
Some players who spoke to The Herald yesterday said tension is simmering in their camp as the management is not keen to engage them in fresh negotiations.
“The boys are not happy with the conduct of the management. The club is not keen on negotiating with us.
“They just want to force on us the same signing-on fees we got when we arrived here, which is very unfair.
“We all believe that we have to negotiate anew considering that when most of us came here the club was struggling and this year we managed to finish in the top four. Where is the recognition?
“In fact, some of the players have indicated that if they get better offers elsewhere they might go,” said one of the players.
He said the 11, who include former Warriors midfielder Pasca Manhanga, Hillary Bakacheza, Jimmy Tigere, Felix Kuswatuka, Ashley Reyners, William Mapfumo, Praise Tonha, Marvelous Mukumba, Tichaona Chipunza and Cabby Kamhapa have turned down the offers from the club and are now waiting to be engaged again.
However, Triangle chairman Lovemore Matikinyidze dismissed the stand-off. He said there are only a few players who have contracts running out in December and have already begun negotiations.
“It’s not true that the bulk of our players will have their contracts expiring at the end of the year.
“What we know is that some of the players’ contracts expired in June and we engaged them and the others will be expiring in 2018.
“In any case if a contract expires or is about to expire, the procedure is to engage the players concerned in negotiations so that football continues to be played,” said Matikinyidze.
Fixtures
Saturday: Chapungu vs How Mine (Ascot), Tsholotsho v Harare City (White City), CAPS United v WhaWha (National Sports Stadium), Flame Lily v Chicken Inn (Lafarge), Dongo Sawmill v FC Platinum (Vengere), Buffaloes v Dynamos (Sakubva)
Sunday: Hwange v Triangle United (Colliery), Highlanders v ZPC Kariba (Barbourfields)
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