FOUR ‘KEEPERS, FOUR CLEAN SHEETS

Bruce Chikuni 

FOUR goalkeepers, four clean sheets.

This list has Dynamos’ Taimon Mvula, Tonderai Mateyaunga of CAPS United, Chicken Inn’s Donovan Bernard and Matriples Muleya of Triangle. 

Mvula and Mateyaunga have given their clubs many reasons to feel optimistic this is likely to be a good season for them.

It is usually the case that the team, which wins the championship, is the one which would have conceded the least number of goals.

The Glamour Boys are at the top of the standings and Makepekepe are just within a touching distance.

The two sides share the same number of points (seven) and they are only separated by goal difference.

Mvula appears to have shrugged off the negativity, which overshadowed his fine debut season for the Glamour Boys last year, in which many feel he was made a scapegoat by the technical team after their failure to win the championship. 

The 29-year-old old was part of the quartet, which was overlooked just towards the end of the campaign, after being suspected of being at the heart of a match-fixing scam.

Their offensive unit has netted five goals and this collective approach might be key in helping their cause to try and win a first league title since 2014.

Mateyaunga has never been in pole position in this marathon but he has been outstanding in making sure that his defence remains impenetrable.

He is the only goalie to have forced his way twice into the Herald’s Team of the Week selection. 

He feels he is set for a special season.

“It’s been a good start for the team, I think we have improved well in this section,” he told H-Metro.

“We now have to keep our heads up because sometimes it’s better not to score than to concede.

“It’s easy to lose hope when you are conceding weekly, I think we have started well and we are having a good understanding as a team.

“It’s my big wish to add more clean sheets for the team.”

Bernard appears to have set a high level for himself as he has been in the championship race in almost every season.

The AYSA Academy graduate finished just a clean sheet behind the eventual winner, Nelson Chadya, despite missing out on three fixtures. 

Muleya’s name is not common to many fans.

He crossed the floor from Bulawayo Chiefs last season and he seems to be enjoying himself in the Lowveld.