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Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
THE Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season is reaching its zenith with football experts in Bulawayo saying teams with a stronger mental character will take the title. Eight rounds of matches are left before the season ends with defending champions Dynamos sitting at the top of the log with 41 points after 22 games while Highlanders and Harare City follow closely with 40 points each.
“The team which will actually display or create mental strength within their players will take the championship. If Highlanders take their approach against Triangle in the Mbada Diamonds Cup into their remaining league matches then they can bag the title. Actually that spirit they displayed against Triangle, the hunger for glory, is what Highlanders was known for.
“Highlanders and Dynamos players must know that every team they meet now wants to beat them and this is the time for them to give in 300 percent because 100 percent alone is not enough to win the title. Harare City have an outside chance but I don’t think they will be able to withstand the heat because at this stage it will be too much. This race is actually going to the wire,” said veteran coach Cosmas Zulu.
Highlanders had a good game against Triangle in a Mbada Diamonds Cup opening round match which they won 3-2. In the match the Bulawayo giants attacked from the onset but put up a subdued performance against FC Platinum but still got maximum points.
Former Soccer Star of the Year Zenzo Moyo said the title race is between Highlanders and Dynamos.
“As much as the PSL race can look wide open, I think at the end of the day it is going to be a two-team competition between Highlanders and Dynamos.
Personally, I think Highlanders at the moment have the qualities of a championship winning team in that no matter how bad they play, they still get a result. They didn’t play well against FC Platinum but still they got the result. Champions grind out results,” said Zenzo Moyo.
Oscar Mazhambe, a member of the Zimbabwe Soccer Coaches Association, predicted a photo finish to the race.
“This is a tricky but exciting championship race. There is no favourite here as any of the top three teams is capable of lifting the title. The fact that the gap has been closed to just a point shows that there is a lot to play for in the next eight matches. Every weekend will come up with its surprises and it’s more of ‘you snooze you lose’ because even teams at the bottom want to steer away from relegation,” Mazhambe said.
Former national team midfielder and championship winner with AmaZulu, Ronald ‘Gidiza’ Sibanda challenged clubs to work harder and unite if they are serious about winning the championship.
Sibanda who also turned out for Harare giants Dynamos said DeMbare’s 2-4 defeat against Hwange in a midweek encounter was a minor setback as the defending champions will bounce back stronger.
“This is the time where unity of purpose from the players, coaches, management and supporters will see any championship seeking team getting their desired results. This is also the time for players to keep their heads on the ground and concentrate on winning their own matches. To the players, this is the period where one has to rise up and show that they deserve the championship by playing well.
“Those who are counting Dynamos out must think again as I know from experience that at this stage DeMbare always comes back even stronger than before. I must also give credit to Highlanders for getting into the groove at the right time. You know for their case (Highlanders), they have shown to be a good side as they get results even when they are playing badly. It’s like they have a bad handwriting yet they still get the answers correct when others have good handwriting but still fail to get the answers correct.
“Personally, I think this is a two team race between Dynamos and Highlanders. I think Harare City will collapse as the race progresses but this is football and who knows, they can even surprise me,” said Sibanda.
Wednesday results and scorers
Rufaro Stadium, Harare
Harare City 1 (7’ Nathan Ziwini)
Shabanie 1 ( 56’ Pervington Zimunya)
Motor Action Stadium, Harare
Motor Action 0
Chicken Inn 0
Sakubva Stadium, Mutare
Buffaloes 1 (22’ Steven Sibanda)
How Mine 1 (36’ Mernard Mupera)
National Sports Stadium
Caps United 1 (18’ Hardlife Zvirekwi)
Triangle 1 (Misheck Mburayi 82’)
Tafadzwa Mahori red carded 5 minutes into 2nd half
Colliery Stadium
Hwange 4 (37’pen, 78’ Gerald Ndlovu, 38’ Nkosana Siwela, 50’ Gilbert Zulu)
Dynamos 2 ( 48’, 60’ Ocean Mushure)
Barbourfields Stadium, Bulawayo
Highlanders 2 (20’, 55’ Njabulo Ncube)
FC Platinum 1 ( 90+2 Mitchel Katsvairo)
Log Standing
P W D L F A GD PTS
Dynamos……… 22 11 8 3 31 15 16 41
Highlanders….. 22 12 4 6 32 18 14 40
Harare City…… 22 11 7 4 32 20 12 40
CAPS United….. 22 10 6 6 30 21 9 36
FC Platinum……. 22 10 6 6 27 20 7 36
Chicken Inn…….. 22 10 5 7 28 24 4 35
Buffaloes……….. 22 10 2 10 34 34 0 32
How Mine……… 22 9 5 8 22 24 -2 32
Shabanie Mine…. 22 8 5 9 22 27 -5 29
Triangle FC…….. 22 7 7 8 26 27 -1 28
Black Mambas…… 22 8 3 11 19 26 -7 27
Hwange………….. 22 6 7 9 24 24 0 25
Black Rhinos…….. 22 5 8 9 23 30 -7 23
Monomotapa…… 22 6 5 11 22 35 -14 23
Tripple B………… 22 4 7 11 19 32 -14 19
Motor Action…….. 22 3 7 12 14 28 -14 16
Fixtures
Tomorrow: Chicken Inn v Harare City (Luveve), Black Mambas v Motor Action (Morris Depot)
Sunday: Shabanie Mine v Caps United (Maglas), How Mine v Black Rhinos (Luveve), Buffaloes v Highlanders (Sakubva), Triangle v Hwange (Gibbo), Dynamos v Monomotapa (Rufaro), Tripple B v FC Platinum (Dulibadzimu)
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