Mapeza, Tapera Castle award favourites

IT is going to be a tight call for the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) May Coach of the Month award with Manica Diamonds head coach, Jairos Tapera and his FC Platinum counterpart Norman Mapeza, being the two front runners for the gong.

A total of five matches were played in the month of May before the country’s elite football league took a three-week break that starts tomorrow and ends on June 21.

The break is meant to accommodate the upcoming Fifa World Cup Qualifiers and Cosafa (senior) Men’s Competition in South Africa.

The Cosafa competition is expected to start soon after the World Cup qualifiers.

PSL monthly awards panellists that include journalists, team coaches and their captains started casting their online votes yesterday morning.

It was a month in which former champions FC Platinum went on an impressive run that saw them post four wins and draw one match. They accounted for Dynamos, Highlanders, Hwange and Greenfuel. Pure Platinum Play were held to a one all draw by Yadah Stars.

This means Mapeza and his charges managed to collect 13 points from a possible 15 to put them on an impressive 87 percent success rate.

It was a good run in which they managed to score eight goals, conceded two and they are now on a +11 goal difference with 28 points, one behind pacesetters Manica Diamonds.

In the month of May, the platinum miners kept three clean sheets (FC Platinum 1 Greenfuel 0, FC Platinum 1 Dynamos 0, FC Platinum 2 Highlanders 0).

Manica Diamonds gaffer also had a fairy-tale campaign with his charges during the month of May.

Out of five games that were played, The Gems also won four and drew once, managing to also collect 13 points from a possible 15. It is also a development that speaks to a remarkable 87 percent success rate.

The Mutare based side scored seven goals, conceded once to leave them on a +7 goal difference.
Jairos Tapera’s men managed to keep four clean when they beat Hwange (1-0), Greenfuel (2-0), Bikita Minerals (1-0) and ZPC Kariba (2-0).

The only goal that they conceded was during their match against Highlanders, which ended one all.