PSL race hots up. . . Gamecocks to face DeMbare in last match of the season

THE four-way battle for the 2017 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title is a fitting climax to a thrilling season of upsets and unpredictability.

A favourite line for this time of the year as the end game has approached would read: aï¿½?The title race is going all the way down to the wire. The barbed wire.aï¿½?

But with Chicken Inn, FC Platinum, Dynamos, and Ngezi Platinum Stars having treated us to so much symphonic football, the barbed wire imagery has less weight this year.

The only aï¿½?barbsaï¿½? this time around are coming from Rahman Gumbo as he finds himself in a close finish afterAï¿½ bouncing back in mentoring one of the local clubs only last year.

Gumboaï¿½ï¿½s Chicken Inn charges are not the aï¿½?skittish ponyaï¿½? spoken about in February and Dynamos found out in last weekendaï¿½ï¿½s 1-0 defeat at the hands of Caps United that the games are not over yet.

Before Week 25 games, teams that included Highlanders and How Mine aï¿½ï¿½ were within range of the 2017 PSL trophy.

Gamecocks, DeMbare, Pure Platinum Play and Madamburo have been furious fighters and no one from day one thought they would come this far.

Bosso imploded under Erol Akbay while How Mine, Black Rhinos and ZPC Kariba shone in the first half of the season and then lost steam in the second.

In his second season in Zimbabwe, Akbay has learnt a lot.

aï¿½?All teams can take points off each other. The standard is very high in this league. Bottom teams that include Tsholotsho, Bantu Rovers and Hwange have the potential to beat Chicken Inn, FC Platinum and Dynamos. Itaï¿½ï¿½s the nature of the competition. The competition made sure no-one runs away with it,aï¿½? he said.

With nine games remaining, log leaders Chicken Inn will do battle against Caps United (away), Highlanders (home), Shabanie Mine (away), Harare City (home) ZPC Kariba (away), Tsholotsho (home), Ngezi Platinum (away), Chapungu (Home) and Dynamos (away).

FC Platinumaï¿½ï¿½s nine remaining assignments will see them fight it out against Yadah (away), Caps United (home), Highlanders (away), Shabanie Mine (home), Harare City (away), ZPC Kariba (away), Tsholotsho (away), Ngezi Platinum (home) and Chapungu (away).

Third placed DeMbare enter into the last stretch of the season with fixtures against (Shabanie (away), Harare City (home), ZPC Kariba (away), Tsholotsho (home), Ngezi Platinum Stars (away), Chapungu (home), Bulawayo City (away), Bantu Rovers (away) and Chicken Inn (home).

Tonderai Ndirayaaï¿½ï¿½s mentored Ngezi Platinum Stars are yet to face ZPC Kariba (away), Tsholotsho (home), Bulawayo City (away) Dynamos (home), Bantu Rovers (away), Chicken Inn (home), FC Platinum (away) and Triangle (home).