Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube, Zimpapers Sports Hub
IT’S game on midweek, not by choice, but by necessity.
With time slipping away, the Zifa Southern Region League has packed its schedule with midweek matches to make up for a delayed start to the season. The urgency stems from the need to wrap up before the Inter-Region Champions Trophy, which they’ll host on November 21.
“We are behind by two weeks. This year, we’re hosting the Champion of Champions Trophy on 21 November. As per our calendar, we are two weeks behind, which is why we have midweek matches,” said league spokesperson Blessing Mbwanda.
He added that the league is also aiming to give teams a short break later, ideally a week or two. With clubs expected to take part in the upcoming Heroes and Zimbabwe Defence Forces celebrations in August, officials are eyeing that period to ease the load.
The crunch in the calendar couldn’t come at a more intense time in the title race.
Nkayi United, who have set the pace so far in the Zifa Southern Region Division One League, will put their top spot to the test in a tricky midweek trip to Victoria Falls. They face Herentals on Wednesday at Chinotimba Stadium, a notoriously tough venue for visiting teams.
Matches in Matabeleland North are rarely walkovers. Nkayi will need to brace for a fight if they want to keep their momentum.
They extended their lead over the weekend with a 2–0 win over Imbizo, keeping them one point ahead of Bulawayo Chiefs. Nkayi now sit on 31 points from 14 games, and their form has been nothing short of remarkable. They’ve won every game in June and carried that form into July.
Adding to the buzz around the team, defender Moreblessing Ernesto was named Player of the Month, while coach Daniel Ndlovu picked up the Coach of the Month award for guiding the side through a perfect June.
Chiefs kept the pressure on with a hard-fought 2–1 win over Bulawayo City in a Friday afternoon game at the same venue Nkayi had played earlier. They remain a single point behind in what’s quickly shaping up into a thrilling three-way race.
Hwange, in third with 27 points, also grabbed maximum points on Saturday with a 2–0 home win against Nust.
They now look ahead to a debut derby against Blackrock at Sinderella, a must watch fixture between two teams who’ve never clashed before in the league.
Elsewhere, Bosso 90 endured a rough afternoon, suffering a 4–0 drubbing at the hands of Bulawayo Warriors at White City Stadium’s B Arena. Adonis Nyoni and Ricarldo Sibanda each scored, while John Ngwenya bagged a brace.
With just four points separating the top three, any slip-up could shuffle the standings. Bulawayo Chiefs will be wary of that as they head to Jordan Sinott Stadium in Filabusi this week, knowing that dropped points could hand an advantage to either Nkayi or Hwange.
Zifa Southern Region Division One Results:
Nkayi United 2–0 Imbizo
Bulawayo City 1–2 Bulawayo Chiefs
Hwange 2–0 Nust
Talen Vision 3–0 Zebra Revolution
Victoria Falls Herentals 2–1 Jordan
Bulawayo Warriors 4–0 Bosso 90
Eagle Life 1–0 Megawatt
Fixtures
Ajax Hotspurs vs Talen Vision (White City B)
Blackrock vs Hwange (Sinderella)
Zebra Revolution vs Nust (White City B)
Megawatt vs Bosso 90 (Chakona)
Mainline vs Bulawayo Warriors (Dingumuzi)
Imbizo vs Eagle Life (Lookout Masuku Barracks)
Casmyn vs Bulawayo City (Postponed)
Jordan vs Bulawayo Chiefs (Filabusi)
Victoria Falls Herentals vs Nkayi United (Chinotimba)
League Table
P W D L F A Pts
N/ United 14 9 4 1 22 6 31
Byo Chiefs 14 9 3 2 25 6 30
Hwange FC 14 8 3 3 23 8 27
B/Warriors 14 7 3 4 19 20 24
Mainline 14 7 3 4 19 20 24
Blackrock 13 7 2 4 11 5 23
Bosso 90 14 6 3 5 12 14 21
Talen Vision 14 5 4 5 15 9 19
Casmyn 13 6 1 6 13 11 19
Byo City 14 5 4 5 15 14 19
Megawatt 14 5 4 5 6 8 19
V/ Falls City 14 4 6 4 9 7 18
Eagle Life 14 5 3 6 11 15 18
Imbizo 14 4 4 6 10 16 16
Z/Revolution 14 5 1 8 15 28 16
Jordan 14 2 3 9 7 22 9
Ajax Hotspurs 14 2 2 10 6 23 8
Nust 14 1 3 10 2 18 6
