Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports Hub
CAUTION has become the watchword in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title race as the championship battle enters a defining phase, with defending champions Scottland showing no signs of loosening their grip at the summit.
The Mabvuku-based side cemented their status as the team to beat when they extended their winning streak to nine matches with a comfortable 2-0 victory over TelOne last Friday.
But ambitious newcomers Hardrock and a revitalised giants Dynamos remain in pursuit after securing important away victories of their own over the weekend to keep the championship fight alive.
Early-season pacesetters CAPS United have also refused to surrender their ambitions, even though a prolonged dip in form has left them trailing by a mile in the title race.
Scottland lead the standings with 49 points, seven ahead of second-placed Hardrock. Dynamos have surged into third place on 40 points and sit nine points behind the leaders with 12 matches still to be played.
While Scottland’s form has made them firm favourites, their coach Norman Mapeza was reluctant to dwell on the growing excitement surrounding his side’s title credentials following the win over TelOne.
The statistics, however, underline the champions’ dominance.
Scottland have won nine consecutive league matches, scoring 23 goals during that run at an average of more than 2.5 goals per game.
Even more impressive has been their defensive record, with 10 successive clean sheets, thanks to the solidity provided by defenders Peter Muduhwa, Kelvin Moyo, Kwakhe Thwala, Mahommad Issaka, and goalkeeper Nelson Chadya.
Veteran stars Knowledge Musona, Khama Billiat, and captain Walter Musona have continued to inspire the team’s charge, as they have been chipping in with crucial goals and assists.
Billiat enhanced his Golden Boot credentials with a brace against TelOne, taking his tally to 11 goals for the season. Both goals were created by Knowledge Musona, whose influence in the final third continues to grow.
Billiat now shares second place in the scoring charts with Dynamos striker Frank Agyemang, while Hardrock forward Washington Navaya leads the race with 12 goals.
Navaya was again on target as Hardrock secured a crucial 2-0 victory over Herentals at Rufaro Stadium on Sunday. The victory ensured the gap between the Kwekwe gold miners and log leaders Scottland remained a manageable seven points.
Hardrock’s championship challenge received a setback after their 2-1 defeat to Dynamos in the completion of the remaining 14 minutes of their previously abandoned fixture last week.
However, Sunday’s win over unpredictable Herentals came with renewed confidence, and coach Kelvin Kaindu believes his side has shown the resilience needed to stay in contention.
“We have managed to pick a victory at Rufaro, and that gives us a bit of confidence as we try to narrow the gap with the team that is on top,” said Kaindu.
“The first thing is that with the points that we have now, we are quite certain that we are not going to be among the teams that are fighting relegation. We have consolidated ourselves.
“Now we need to stay focused and try to be a bit more consistent. Scottland have opened up a wider margin because they have been consistent in the last six, seven or eight games that they’ve been winning and also the goal difference is just massive. But for us to score two goals and keep a clean sheet is a plus for us,” said Kaindu.
But with Scottland continuing to set the pace, the ambitious newboys Hardrock know they can ill-afford many more slip-ups if they are to keep alive the dream of winning the title in their first season in the topflight.
A giant reawakens, but the most intriguing development in recent weeks has been the resurgence of Dynamos. The Harare giants have enjoyed an impressive revival since the appointment of Romanian technical director Aristica Cioaba.
Three wins from three matches have propelled DeMbare from seventh place into the top three and revived hopes of an unlikely title challenge.
Cioaba has quickly won over the club’s faithful with an attacking brand of football built around possession and quick transitions, but the Romanian insists his focus remains on long-term development rather than immediate glory.
Cioaba said his immediate goal was to develop players to national team standards.
“Of course, it has been three games and three wins. But I would like to improve the players from game to game, working hard day to day.
“So, it’s a work in progress. We are not only working physically, but we are also working on mental aspects,” said Cioaba.
He believes Scottland have built the edge in the race.
“I think the Scotland gap of nine points is not easy in football, but we have a plan to improve game by game, to play better, and if the results come, it’s good for us. This is our plan, and we need to stay in the top four this season, and we will try to put this plan in the future.”
Dynamos have transformed remarkably from a side that survived relegation on the last day of the campaign into title contenders. The turnaround has been remarkable.
Last season, Dynamos narrowly escaped relegation after collecting just 39 points and securing their survival on the final day of the campaign.
But just 22 matches into this season, they have already surpassed that tally and now find themselves among the leading contenders on 40 points.
Spare a thought for CAPS United.
While Scottland, Hardrock, and Dynamos continue to gather momentum, the story is very different for CAPS United.
The Green Machine, who set the pace during the opening months of the season, extended their win-less run to six matches following a goalless draw against Ngezi Platinum Stars at the weekend.
They have managed just one victory in their last 11 league outings, a dramatic decline for a side that once appeared destined to mount a sustained title challenge.
Powered by a host of new signings and a revamped technical team, CAPS United led the standings with 26 points after the first 12 rounds of the campaign, four ahead of nearest challengers Hardrock.
However, the momentum that carried them through the first half of the season has faded. They have now slipped to fifth place on 36 points and find themselves 13 points behind the leaders.
Despite the slump, coach Takesure Chiragwi remains optimistic that his side can rediscover its form during the run-in.
“The race is still on,” he said.
“What is important is to focus probably on the negatives of the team because there are not many. Then we look at the positives, and then we also look at the log standings and the number of games that we have.
“But the unfortunate part, where we are now, the games are going. If you play today, it’s gone. It’s different from the first round.
“So, we just need to pick ourselves up very quickly and make sure that we also need to fight for the title. But at the end of the day, I think we are still there.
“We just need to have our confidence back in terms of scoring. That is the only missing link we have. So, at the end of the day, I think we will do better,” said Chiragwi. Makepekepe travel to struggling Manica Diamonds for their next assignment this Saturday.
daniel chigunwe