Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
HARDROCK will be crowned champions of the Castle Lager Premiership if they win their remaining three games.
But that is easier said than done.
Defending champions Scottland, with a game in hand and five points behind, will not let go that easily.
They maybe concentrating on the CAF Champions League for now, but there is no doubt that once they get the job done in Angola, they will turn their focus to what could be one of the most exciting end to the title race.
Hardrock will play MWOS at home, Simba Bhora away and FC Platinum at home.
Scottland will play CAPS away, Chicken Inn home, Herentals home and Triangle away.
That scenario makes this weekend’s Hardrock home match against MWOS non-negotiable, with the hosts needing nothing less than victory to keep their destiny in their own hands.
Kelvin Kaindu’s men are in form, riding on an eight-match unbeaten run that has restored belief in the Kwekwe-based side and their fans.
But the veteran coach knows momentum can be fragile at this stage and wants his charges to stay level-headed, consistent and ruthless as the finishing line approaches.
“There are still nine points to play for, and that is quite a lot because the race is still tight and open,” Kaindu said.
“We may have 5 points ahead of Scottland who are yet to play, but I think it gives us some slight advantage and mileage . . . we now need to be consistent and stay where we are.
“Dynamo’s game gave us a lot of pressure, and that my boys fought and eventually won at the death showed me that they now have a champion mentality, and it should take us far.
“I think the last time we were allowed to get to the summit of the table, we didn’t stay there for long, but this time, this is our second week, and we should be able to maintain.”
Being in a down-to-the-wire championship race is familiar for Kaindu, who has endured heartbreaking near misses with Highlanders before.
In 2012, Kaindu set a Premiership record by going 23 games unbeaten while losing only one match through out the season.
However, Dynamos went on to snatch that championship after the two giants finished level on 69 points for DeMbare to win the league based on superior goal difference.
The following year, history repeated itself as Kaindu’s Highlanders side again finished tied at the top of the table with Dynamos, this time on 54 points each, only to lose out on the championship by goal difference once more.
And that experience now shapes his understanding of the championship race, complacency and why he firmly believes in no early celebrations.
“In my past near-misses, I have never been at a time where I’ve opened up with a five-point cushion; those have been quite tight,” he said.
“Maybe a point, and you knew that once you drop, the other team goes on top; that’s why I wish us to maintain this momentum, stay compact, remain focused, and see what happens after every game.”
