Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
AS pressure starts to mount in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League as it now takes shape, spotlight has been drawn on former champions Simba Bhora.
With six games already done and dusted, the Shamva-based side, who were dubbed one of the best teams this season, appear to be stuttering in a spell that has raised a lot of questions.
Currently they sit on position nine on the log table with an equal number of points, six behind leaders CAPS United.
They have won twice, registered three draws and lost once.
While they are not in a bad position and cannot be written off in the championship race yet, questions have emerged over their declining form.
The Mandla “Lulu” Mpofu-coached side have not scored in their last three games in a spell that has raised concerns among pundits while also placing the coach’s competency under scrutiny.
However, Mpofu maintains that he is not pressing the panic button yet.
“We cannot look down or lose hope because it is still too early, we just need to figure out how best to reset and bounce back,” said coach Mpofu.
“It happens, it’s football and I also understand the frustration when comes to failing to collect points especially at Wadzanai, a place that is our fortress, but I think we will eventually get it right.”
At this stage last season, Simba Bhora were in position four on the log table with 11 points to their name while MWOS, Ngezi and Scottland occupied the top three slots with 14, 13 and 11 points in that order.
The former champions had already netted six goals and let in just two.
For a side that had gone through a major player overhaul while also under a new coach Joel Luphahla who was in his first season as a topflight head coach, Simba charmed many.
From the onset they were in the title race, even occupying the top position for months until they fizzled out in the dying stages of the season to settle for position three.
Precisely, in the entire season, they neither sunk as low as position nine nor did they fail to score goals for three consecutive games.
In fact, they recorded goalless draws in their opening 2025 games against FC Platinum at home and away to ZPC Kariba while their first goal came on match day three a 1-0 win against Herentals at Wadzanai, setting themselves into goal scoring form for the season.
Now Mpofu has previously set standards to live up to.
“We can’t yet press panic buttons yet, we have a very good team that plays five-star football despite goals not coming,” said the Simba Bhora coach.
“Our team is balanced in all departments, we are okay on depth, and I believe that it is just a matter of time before goals start coming . . . when we eventually start scoring, we will be unstoppable.”
Mpofu believes that it is a matter of time before his side break their winless streak and start collecting the much-needed points.
The coach revealed that Simba Bhora are targeting another championship this year, and he is confident that he has the arsenal to deliver.
“I think it is something that we just need to talk about, it is mind games and if we put those things in mind, we will never win,” he said.
“If you look at the last two games here, I do not think we have created enough opportunities, we have to focus on that, it’s a matter of time, wins will come, I know it will happen.”
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