Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi-Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE Castle Lager Premiership is shaping up for an intriguing homestretch.
The latest round of fixtures provided a timely reminder that no side is invincible as leaders Scottland saw their impressive 12-match unbeaten run come to an end at the hands of Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium.
On the same day, second-placed Hardrock suffered a shock defeat to relegation-threatened Triangle at Chahwanda Stadium, while Dynamos squandered an opportunity to close the gap on the leaders after being held to a goalless draw by Simba Bhora at Rufaro.
It was a bruising weekend for the league’s leading contenders and a clear indication that the championship race remains far from settled, with 11 matches still left to play.
Scottland, who have set the pace for much of the campaign, suffered the biggest setback.
Prior to the visit to Bulawayo, Norman Mapeza’s men had gone for 12 games unbeaten and were on a remarkable nine-match winning streak.
Even more impressively, they had not conceded a goal throughout that nine-game winning run, underlining their dominance at both ends of the pitch.
They were on course to equal the longest winning streak in the last 20 years. Interestingly, Highlanders were the last team in the opening matches of the 2006 season when they last won the title under Methembe Ndlovu.
But playing with a man short following the red card to defender Kelvin Moyo, Scottland could not find their way back after falling to a Benjamin Adeogun strike.
Their coach, Norman Mapeza, quickly brushed aside the defeat, their second this season after playing 23 games, as they returned to Harare to host Bulawayo Chiefs at Rufaro tomorrow.
“Yeah, we move on,” said Mapeza.
“I knew it was going to happen, and I say well done to my boys. I think they did well because after losing Kelvin Moyo, it was going to be difficult.
“In such a situation, it is difficult to get an equaliser and even win the game, but well done to my boys. They worked so hard. As I said, we move on. Our mind now is on the next game against Bulawayo Chiefs.”
The veteran coach, however, acknowledged the need for greater ruthlessness in front of goal after Scottland failed to score for the first time in 10 matches.
“We had some half-chances,” Mapeza said. “If you look at Khwake (Thwala), you don’t need too many touches to . . . If you look at (Kylian) Mbappe, the way he scores goals, it’s just an inch. So sometimes, I think, we tend to look for a clear-cut opportunity to say we are creating an opportunity.
“As footballers, those half chances we need to make use of them . . . But there is no time to mourn. We need to move on. We are still okay where we are. We just have to move on.”
Their tally of 49 points gives them a seven-point cushion at the summit after the nearest challengers, Hardrock, also slipped up. Hardrock missed a golden opportunity to cut the gap to four points after suffering a surprise 2-0 defeat to basement side Triangle. Playing behind closed doors as punishment stemming from crowd disturbances that led to the abandonment of their previous match against Dynamos, the Kwekwe side failed to capitalise on Scottland’s defeat.
Dynamos also missed a chance to apply pressure at the top. Victory over Simba Bhora would have reduced Scottland’s advantage to six points, but the Glamour Boys were left frustrated by a goalless draw that kept them third on 41 points.
Dynamos Technical Director Aristica Cioaba believes the championship race has entered a decisive phase where every point carries enormous significance.
The Romanian noted that teams battling for survival are proving just as motivated as those chasing silverware, making every fixture increasingly difficult.
While the top sides stumbled, CAPS United emerged as one of the weekend’s biggest winners. Makepekepe rediscovered their winning touch with an impressive 2-0 victory over Manica Diamonds, courtesy of goals from Chawanangwa Kaonga and Chris Mugalu.
The result lifted CAPS United to 39 points, leaving them 10 points adrift of leaders Scottland and keeping their faint title hopes alive.
Coach Takesure Chiragwi remains optimistic that his side can build on the momentum generated by Sunday’s victory.
“I have a feeling that things can get back to normal and we can start flying again.
“Of course, it’s a process, and we will continue talking up the boys at training and ensure that they begin to see things positively. “From the way things have been unfolding, I think there has been a lot of positivity in all departments.
“In the last three games, we have picked five points and scored five goals. We hope to continue on that trajectory and see how everything goes.
“Wins always give you the confidence, and what we have to do now is take the momentum into our next fixture and see how things go,” said Chiragwi.
