Online Reporter
Tongai Mashonga, [email protected]
HARDROCK chairman Wellington Mpandare has praised his players for showing character after bouncing back from a painful home defeat to Highlanders with a 2-0 victory over Bulawayo Chiefs, a result that lifted the PSL debutants to the top of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League table.
Mpandare said the response shown by the team after suffering their first home defeat of the season was a sign of the squad’s growing maturity and resilience.
“The game against Highlanders was a bitter pill to swallow. It was our first defeat at home. We know that it’s not easy to win all games, but losing at home is never easy. The beauty about it is that the boys recovered against Chiefs,” he said.
The chairman noted that playing away is never easy, especially against a Chiefs side that had recently beaten CAPS United at Rufaro. He said the victory demonstrated the squad’s character and ability to bounce back under pressure.
Attention has now shifted to Hardrock’s next fixture against Dynamos, a match Mpandare expects will be another stern examination for his side.“Against Dynamos, it will not be easy considering the way they played against Triangle. The game is coming at the right time after both teams discovered their form in the previous games.”
“It’s going to be an exciting game, and fans will come in their numbers,” he said.
Despite sitting at the top of the standings, Mpandare insists the club’s immediate objective remains survival.
“Our fans expect a win at home, but football is unpredictable. Our focus is still on survival, so we need four wins to be certain of survival. I urge all fans to come and rally behind the team. As the 12th player, they have to make it hard for Dynamos. The atmosphere has to be intimidating.”
Hardrock climbed to the summit of the PSL standings after defeating Bulawayo Chiefs 2-0 at Barbourfields Stadium on Saturday.
The newcomers now sit on 27 points, level with CAPS United but ahead on goal difference after Makepekepe were held to a 1-1 draw by Simba Bhora in Shamva.
Goals from Washington Navaya and Neliswa Dlamini secured maximum points for Hardrock, while Simba Bhora’s 17-year-old Cole Tsamba struck a late equaliser against CAPS United to open the door for Hardrock to leapfrog the Harare giants.
Dlamini and Tsamba were both named inaugural Lucky Bets Player of the Match at Barbourfields Stadium and Wadzanayi Stadium respectively.
The result marked a dramatic turnaround for a Hardrock side that had been licking its wounds after suffering its first home defeat of the season against Highlanders on Matchday 12.
Hardrock’s rise has come during what many are describing as one of the most competitive PSL campaigns in recent years.
The 2026 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season has proved to be tightly contested and unpredictable, with traditional giants, elite clubs, big spenders, mining sides and underdogs all battling in a marathon campaign where every fixture presents a challenge. There has been little room for complacency, something Hardrock coach Kelvin Kaindu and several other coaches have repeatedly highlighted.
