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Fungai Muderere
Zimpapers Sports Hub
EIGHTEEN teams, nine matches each week, a total of 306 matches and it is all over!
The 2024 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season concludes today with Highlanders set to take on Yadah Stars deep in the bowels of Barbourfields Stadium.
It is a game that will naturally see focus turn on Bosso striker Lynoth Chikuhwa and Yadah Stars’ Khama Billiat in their fight for the Golden Boot Award on the last day of the season.
Sonjy, as Chikuhwa is fondly known, is on 16 goals, three ahead of Billiat.
Question: With the odds greatly favouring Chikuhwa to scoop the award, will Billiat be able to summon his magic and overtake the Bosso forward?
Answer: Only time will tell after the final whistle at Emagumeni, as the stage is set for a thrilling showdown between the two players.
Billiat will have to score more than three goals today to outshine the Bosso forward.
“It is not easy in modern-day football to score 16 goals. Chikuhwa can even score more as there is still a game for him to consolidate his finishing as the leading goalscorer,” said Bosso coach Kelvin Kaindu.
“He has been outstanding in terms of scoring goals. Lynoth has been quite instrumental for us to be where we are. Even if you look at the goals that we scored, I think we had the best striking force.
“In the goals that we scored, I think he has contributed a lot where most of us were not giving him a chance.
“He could have scored two goals last season, but I think for him to get to 16 at this season, it’s a plus. We just anticipate that he ends the season with one or two more goals.
“At the beginning of the season, not many gave him a chance, but I think it’s the confidence that the technical team put in him.”
On Billiat, the Zambian gaffer said:
“He is a good player and a favourite of many. Most of the time when we play against them (Yadah), some people just come to watch an individual and if you give him room to play, he can display the qualities that he has got.
“What we need to do is to focus on the game that we are playing and hope that we will be able to manage him.
“He is one of the most talented players in the league and maybe too good to be playing for our league. He is a very good player. We just hope that we have got enough players who can be assigned to monitor him.”
It will probably be Billiat’s debut at Barbourfields Stadium since he left the country in 2010 to join Ajax Cape Town in South Africa from the Harare-based Aces Youth Soccer Academy.
In 2016, the Warriors poster boy travelled with Mamelodi Sundowns to play Chicken Inn in the CAF Champions League match, but was not able to do duty courtesy of an injury.
This year he returned to Zimbabwe to play for Miracle Boys and he has featured against Chicken Inn, Arenel Movers and Bulawayo Chiefs at Luveve Stadium.
Caps United’s William Manondo is on 12 goals as the former Cup Kings face Ngezi Platinum Stars at Rufaro Stadium in their last game of the season this afternoon.
Today’s Fixtures
Highlanders v Yadah Stars (Barbourfields)
CAPS United v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Rufaro)
Online Reporter