Show-time again as MWOS, Rhinos clash

Petros Kausiyo

FOUR months after they faced off in a Northern Region Soccer League season-opening blockbuster, leaders MWOS and second-placed Black Rhinos clash in another epic battle, which could go either way.

The top-of-the-table clash is on at The Heart stadium this afternoon (3pm).

MWOS coach Loyd Mutasa wants his charges to avoid exerting too much pressure on themselves and is not reading much into their pole position. Just a point separates MWOS and Rhinos with the former having amassed 43 points. The soldiers who had been perched at the top up to the halfway stage of the marathon surrendered their spot after being held 1-1 by Scottland last weekend. But victory over MWOS at their new found hunting ground could see Rhinos reclaim the top spot. However, for journeyman coach Mutasa, today’s game is not about their position on the log or that of their opponents.

“When we play Rhinos on Friday, it’s not about the position that we are in that we will be looking at.

“But we will be looking at the opposition that we are playing against, like any other time we have played football in this league,” Mutasa said.

“From the onset, I think we have said we respect every team that is in the league and if you look at our performance against some of the teams that we have played with before the good part is that we played with each team in the last round and we came out victorious against Rhinos before but went on to lose to the likes of Zambezi which was at the bottom of the log at the time we played them.

“So, we are not worried much about our position, we are worried about how we are going to take this game.

“We are aware of the tough competition in Division One and we will see how this one goes,” Mutasa said. In the first meeting between the two sides on April 6, Prince Mangondo, Wisdom Mutasa, and Keith Chikotora found the goals for MWOS while Rhinos replied via Malvin Mudzuka and Tafadzwa George. A lot has changed in either side’s dressing room since their opening day meeting with both MWOS and Rhinos using the mid-season transfer window to rope in new blood and also let go some excess baggage.

Given the riveting show that the NRSL championship race has been, Rhinos coach Nesbert “Yabo” Saruchera is expecting yet another testing afternoon for his side.

Saruchera rarely loses to the same opponents twice in a Division One season and just like last Saturday’s clash against Scottland at Heart, Rhinos will be on a revenge mission when they welcome Norton outfit MWOS to Harare. “It’s going to be tough as usual but we are home and we are Rhinos.

“We need those points although we need to be at our best,” Saruchera said.

Herentals U20 and Ngezi U19 will kick-start the Match-Day 21 business in the NRSL with a midday encounter at Mkushi Academy grounds before attention shifts to the high-profile clash between Rhinos and MWOS. Tomorrow draw specialists Golden Eagles host Shamva Mine at Ellis Robins, Black Mambas receive PAM at Mkushi, Cranborne visit Agama at Pfura in Mt Darwin, and struggling Trojan Stars entertain Chinhoyi in Bindura.

Genesis Mangombe will take his bow on the Scottland dugout on Sunday when the flamboyant side welcomes Zambezi G&C at Heart.

Fixtures:

Today: Herentals U20 v Ngezi U19 (Mkushi Academy 12noon); Black Rhinos v MWOS (Heart 3pm)

Tomorrow: (All 3pm)

Black Mambas v PAM (Mkushi); Norton Community v Karoi United (Ngoni); Golden Eagles v Shamva Mine (Ellis Rob-ins); AGAMA v Cranborne Bullets (Pfura); Trojan Stars v Chinhoyi (Trojan)

Sunday: Scottland v Zambezi G&C (Heart 3pm); CC Lee Mhangura v Harare City (Mhangura Mine)

Latest Log standings

P W D L F A Pts

MWOS 20 13 4 3 34 11 43

Black Rhinos 20 12 6 2 7 14 42

Harare City 20 12 5 3 30 11 41

Scottland 20 12 3 5 24 12 39

Golden Eagles 20 8 10 2 22 11 34

Herentals U-20 20 9 6 5 27 19 33

Agama 20 8 9 3 25 18 33

Cranborne Bullets 20 6 9 5 16 16 27

PAM 20 6 8 6 15 16 26