Focus shifts to runners-up slot

Fungai Muderere

Sports Reporter

BULAWAYO football giants, Highlanders FC and Manica Diamonds will be out to cancel each other in the fight for the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League first runners-up slot when the two teams meet at Gibbo on Sunday.

Last weekend Ngezi Platinum Stars took their tally to an unassailable 63 points after they edged Simba Bhora 2-1 to end the title contest going into final two rounds of play of the 2023 season.

Bosso and Manica Diamonds are in a dogfight to finish as Ngezi Platinum Stars’ runners-up with Dynamos and FC Platinum.

Manica Diamonds coach Jairos Tapera, who in their previous encounter watched his charges being held to a nil all draw by already relegated army side Cranborne Bullets, has predicted a tough match against Bosso.

“It’s not going to be an easy match. We are going to give our all so as to finish the season in a respectable position. However, we will need to be very cautious because this is a very big team that is also in a mission to finish the season strongly,” said Tapera.

Manica Diamonds are tied on 54 points with second placed DeMbare, one ahead of fourth placed Bosso.

Week 33 Fixtures

Saturday: Chicken Inn v Yadah Stars (Luveve), FC Platinum v Hwange (Mandava), Black Rhinos v Sheasham (Bata), ZPC Kariba v Simba Bhora (Nyamhunga), Ngezi Platinum Stars v Cranborne Bullets (Baobab), Triangle v CAPS United (Gibbo), Dynamos v Greenfuel (NSS)

Sunday: Manica Diamonds v Highlanders (Gibbo), Herentals v Bulawayo Chiefs (NSS)

Latest Standings

P         W       D       L       F        A       PTS

NGEZI PLATINUM                32       19       6       7       42       21      63

DYNAMOS                         32       14       12      6       35       14      54

MANICA DIAMONDS              32       15       9       8       38       21      54

HIGHLANDERS                   32       13       13      6       23       20      52

FC PLATINUM                    32       14       9       9       34       27      51

HERENTALS                       32       13       9       10     36       30      48

CHICKEN INN                    32       10       15      7       33       25      45

HWANGE                          32       12       7       13     26       26      43

CAPS UNITED                     32       10       12      10     33       30      42

GREENFUEL                      32       10       10      12     25       32      40

SIMBA BHORA                     32       9        12      11     28       25      39

BULAWAYO CHIEFS              32       10       9       13     35       35      39

YADAH                             32       11       4       17     32       43      37

ZPC KARIBA                       32       10       7       15     23       47      37

SHEASHAM                       32       7        14      11     20       31      35

TRIANGLE                         32       6        16      10     22       33      34

BLACK RHINOS                   32       7        11      14     23       35      32

CRANBORNE BULLETS      32        6          9          17        15        27        27