adminEddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
GIANTS Dynamos and Highlanders have vowed to push their fight to the last day of the season after faltering in their matches at the weekend and surrendering control of the Castle Lager Championship race to dark horses Harare City.
Defending champions Dynamos face the possibility of surrendering the title they had won successively in the last two seasons under Callisto Pasuwa after falling two points behind City ahead of the last round matches.
DeMbare drew 2-2 with Chicken in at Barbourfields on Sunday.
But the Harare giants could have blown a golden opportunity last week when they played a 1-1 draw with Shabanie Mine at home while Highlanders were winning 1-0 against Triangle to upstage them from the top.
City, on 53 points, are now the favourites to land the title ahead of Dynamos and Highlanders who have 51 points apiece.
However, team manager Richard Chihoro yesterday maintained the Glamour Boys will not throw in the towel yet.
“It’s still game on if you ask me because there are still the last round matches to play. Any of the three teams can win this championship. So we will continue to fight until the end and hopefully we win our last game against Black Mambas,” said Chihoro.
Dynamos need a big “favour” from an unlikely source, CAPS United, as they now hope that their arch-rivals beat Harare City or hold them to a draw while they win their last encounter against police side Black Mambas.
But they will not have it easy, either, as Mambas, who thrashed Tripple B 4-1 are being stalked by relegation and would need maximum points to ensure they survive for another season.
Chihoro said Dynamos, who have always suspected there is a conspiracy against them this season, were not happy with the circumstances surrounding their game against Chicken Inn.
DeMbare said they played the match under protest after learning that Hwange referee Hardly Ndazi, whom they have repeatedly accused of short-changing their team, was going to be in charge.
They also protested the appointment of Zifa vice-president Ndumiso Gumede, whose impartiality they question because they claim he has strong links with Highlanders, as match commissioner.
There were some banners among the DeMbare fans at Barbourfields on Sunday attacking Gumede.
Amid all the confusion, DeMbare found themselves trailing 2-0 early in the game after the league’s top goal scorer Tendai Ndoro and Brian Mbiriri gave the hosts an early lead.
Dynamos could have been virtually out of the reckoning for the championship had the match ended like that but midfielders Tawanda Muparati and Cliff Sekete helped them salvage a point to keep their hopes remotely alive.
According to reports from our Bulawayo Bureau, DeMbare were also victims of some dirty tricks employed by some unruly supporters who kept throwing balls onto the pitch every time they ventured forward in the second half searching for the winner.
“We were not happy with the way some of the home supporters continuously disrupted play by throwing balls onto the pitch most of the times we were in promising positions.
“In all fairness, we could have come out with a win in that match were it not for that barbaric action of those supporters because we were attacking vigorously.
“We had come from a two-goal deficit and it looked promising. We even had another goal disallowed in the second half. Otherwise, we were impressed by the way our boys fought so gallantly,” said Chihoro.
Bulawayo giants Highlanders will also be praying for a City loss to CAPS United while they have to win their last match against Shabanie Mine at home.
Bosso’s championship credentials were questioned by Harare City and they were found wanting as they capitulated to 4-0 defeat and were dislodged from the top at this crucial stage.
Highlanders, whose chase for a League and Cup double is now in tatters, could have edged closer to a dream season finale had they won on Sunday.
But it was always going to be difficult for assistant coach, Bekithemba Ndlovu, whose technical inadequacies in the absence of head coach Kelvin Kaindu were again exposed.
The Zambian mentor is away in the United Kingdom for a Uefa B Licence coaching course.
Ndlovu said Highlanders are now aiming to win their last game against Shabanie Mine and hope that Harare City and Dynamos slip up.
“Obviously, our plan is to win that game and hopefully the other results will go in our favour. They (Harare City and Dynamos) have to play their games and we are playing our own games. We need to win our own game. Anything can happen if we win our own game,” said Ndlovu.
“On the side of the players, I think they have done well for the club. (To be) where we are, it’s because of them. They have been working very hard and maybe we had a lapse of concentration that is why we lost.
“But they are good players and I think they will fight in the last game and try to win because we still have a chance for the league championship. It’s not over until it’s over.
“For me, as a coach, I drew the first game here at Rufaro and this one I lost. But I have got all the confidence because I think I know what I am doing. Maybe it was just not our day.
“First half we created chances and we missed and then they created and they scored. I think it was just not our day and maybe the (wrong) attitude on our side.” FC Platinum’s faint hopes in the championship race were ended by the 1-1 draw at How Mine and now they have to fight to secure a top four finish.
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