Lovemore Dube [email protected]
HARDROCK coach Kelvin Kaindu believes his side is still very much in the race despite a morale-sucking away draw to Simba Bhora in Shamva on Saturday.
The Kwekwe-based gold miners appeared on course to wrap up the championship, as they went into the weekend leading second-placed Scottland by four points.
A win on Saturday would have ended Scottland’s interest with a game to spare, with an unassailable 72 points. But the 0-0 draw was compounded by a 4-0 victory by Scottland over Herentals, which even brought a positive plus three goal difference going into the final round of the Castle Lager Premiership.
Should Hardrock be held to a draw by FC Platinum and Scottland win their last game, the two teams will be tied on 71 points.
Scottland will win because of a superior goal difference.
He praised his boys in an interview yesterday for the hard fight in their maiden season.
“Credit to the boys for reaching this stage; they have fought hard to be here,” said Kaindu.
Hardrock won the Central Region Soccer League race last year to earn a Premiership ticket and assembled a very strong team at the beginning of this year.
Stakes were raised higher when Kaindu, who led Dynamos’ successful fight against relegation, joined the club, boasting of the right temperament, having sat it out at the dugouts of big teams Dynamos, Highlanders and Zambia’s Zanaco.
Kaindu said he was disappointed in the spurned chances against Simba Bhora on Saturday. He said that, with the match a must-win, he felt his boys could have felt the heat and found themselves with a higher turnover in the final third and in front of goal.
“Perhaps the boys were under pressure. We created several good scoring chances against Simba Bhora but wasted all,” said Kaindu.
Kaindu said the game against FC Platinum is non-negotiable.
“We have to win that match to be crowned champions; everyone has that in his mind within our camp,” said Kaindu.
Kaindu could not be drawn into a sad past in which twice on the final day, he failed to win the championship with Highlanders. That was in 2012 and 2013 in which he finished the seasons tied with Dynamos.
“Our focus remains on winning our next game and win it with the boys,” said Kaindu, a former Highlanders and Zanaco (Zambia) winger.
Time will tell if it is third time lucky for the former dazzling winger who won several titles with Zanaco both as a player and member of technical team.
Meanwhile, Bulawayo Chiefs assured themselves a slot in the Premiership next season with a 2-0 win over Nesbert ‘Yabo’ Saruchera’s FC Hunters to take their points’ tally to 37 and safe from relegation.
The win left ZPC Kariba hanging precariously in danger aware that an away loss to Herentals in Harare and a win at home by Agama against disappointing Highlanders will condemn them to Division One.
Agama and ZPC condemned themselves to the gallows last weekend with defeats to Chicken Inn, 3-1 for the former and 1-0 to CAPS United by the latter.
Bulawayo side Chicken Inn’s win took them to seventh on the log with 47 points.
Highlanders were held to a draw by relegated TelOne, 2-2 at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday in what has been another dreadful performance by the mass-supported club that is celebrating its 100 years.
Andrew Mbeba notched his 10th assist of the season after creating Bosso’s equaliser for Zambian Isaac Ngoma.
