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Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
WITH competition approaching the half mark in the Zifa Southern Region Division One Soccer League, former Quelaton and Bulawayo Chiefs gaffer Thulani Sibanda has predicted a more competitive second half of the season. Sibanda, a championship winner with Quelaton in 2011, believes teams at the top of the log should brace for a tougher final phase as others will be fighting for survival. Three teams will be relegated at the end of the season with the winners joining the elite Premier Soccer League. In the event that a club from the Southern Region is relegated from the Premiership, it will mean that the fourth from the bottom club at the end of the season will be axed.
Sibanda who was redeployed by his Bulawayo Chiefs to head their ambitious academy after 11 games, left the team enjoying a six-point lead over their second placed Black Boots having registered nine victories, losing a game to Black Boots and playing a goalless draw with Ntabazinduna.
Former Zimbabwe and Premiership winning coach Rahman Gumbo took over from Sibanda.
“Obviously I have a bias towards Bulawayo Chiefs but overall I think we are bound to watch some exciting promotional matches. Personally, I think the teams which will give Bulawayo Chiefs a good run for their money are Black Boots and Bantu Rovers. Black Boots have managed to keep almost the same squad for more than three years and they play lots of soccer more than any other team in the league because of uniformed forces competitions they participate in. This means that Black Boots play throughout the year and they have worked really hard to perfect their combinations as well as level of understanding of each other,” said Sibanda. Black Boots trail Bulawayo Chiefs by five points having played 13 matches.
Tomorrow, Black Boots will play host to Hwange’s Technosphere who are fourth on the log and tied on 22 points with Tsholotsho Pirates and Bantu Rovers.
Bantu Rovers travel to Victoria Falls for a date with Mkhosana.
“As for Bantu Rovers, from their last performance against Ajax Hotspurs last week where they won 1-0, I think they have struck the right cord. If they can maintain their new found form then they can be counted among championship contenders,” said Sibanda.
The coach who started his career at Entumbane’s defunct Cosmos transformed Bulawayo Chiefs’ fortunes since joining them after eight games last season when they were in position 14 on the log with just eight points. Then, eventual champions How Mine had amassed 23 points having played 10 matches, two more than Bulawayo Chiefs.
Sibanda managed to guide Bulawayo Chiefs to position five at the end of the season with 55 points from 32 outings, 10 behind winners How Mine.
From the time he took over at Chiefs in terms of statistics, he was the best performing Division One coach as he amassed more points than any other coach.
He earned 47 points while champions How Mine chalked 42.
Fixtures
Tomorrow: Quelaton v Tsholotsho (White City, 12pm), Bulawayo Jumbos v Hwange Juniors (Brad Barracks), Ajax Hotspurs v Zimbabwe Saints (White City), Black Boots v Technosphere (Fair Bridge), Ntabazinduna Prison v New West (Ntabazinduna), Rufaro Rovers v Mpumalanga (Hwange), Mkhosana v Bantu Rovers (Victoria Falls), Bulawayo Chiefs v ZPC Hwange (Dingumuzi)
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