adminRay Bande Senior Sports Reporter
THE fight to escape the dreaded relegation chop has hit home stretch, with only top six teams on the log guaranteed of their places in next year’s Castle Lager Premiership season.
Mathematically, only Dynamos, ZPC Kariba, CAPS United, FC Platinum, Hwange and Chicken Inn are guaranteed of yet another dance in the domestic top flight league.
Although Highlanders and How Mine are relatively safe, at 39 and 37 points, respectively, simple mathematics shows that the two teams might face relegation if they lose their remaining two matches and all the clubs below them win in the remaining two rounds of league matches.
With Chiredzi FC and Bantu Rovers already heading for Division One, six teams — Shabanie Mine, Black Rhinos, Harare City, Triangle, Chapungu and Mutare army side Buffaloes — now stare the relegation barrel right in the face.
Two of these six clubs will certainly join Bantu and Chiredzi to make up the list of the four teams to be relegated when the curtain comes down on the 2014 Castle Lager Premiership season.
Buffaloes
Mutare Premiership outfit Buffaloes are skating on thin ice and now find themselves in real danger of being relegated to the less fashionable Division One.
Although they started the season quite well under outspoken coach Luke Masomere, especially after the opening heavy defeat away against Hwange, surmountable financial challenges latter left the Mutare side on a free fall.
To date, the Mutare side, now under the tutelage of the legendary Moses Chunga, has managed to amass 36 points, a paltry four points above fellow army side Black Rhinos, who are occupying the cut-off fourth from bottom position.
Although Chunga remains bullish about his chances of escaping relegation, the legendary gaffer might need all tricks in the book considering the fact that his team faces tricky fixtures when they play Chicken Inn away before returning home against Hwange to complete their 2014 fixtures.
When asked whether he will be able to attain his top eight finish dream after losing to CAPS United at home, Chunga said: “There are still six points to fight for. We still can achieve what we want to achieve if all things are in place.
“Yes, we are not safe from relegation but I think we just need to win at least one of the remaining two games and we can survive,” he said.
Buffaloes remaining matches:
Chicken Inn (away); Hwange (home).
Chapungu
At 36 points, the Gweru airmen are two points behind Buffaloes and more crucially they are just two points above Rhinos, who are lying on the cut-off fourth from bottom position.
Chapungu will obviously not want to lose any of their remaining matches given that it needs only one round of league matches for them to be overtaken by the team lying on the cut-off position.
That Chapungu will face fellow relegation threatened Black Rhinos this weekend before wrapping up their season with a visit to Bulawayo to face Highlanders, only helps to make issues a bit more complicated for the Gweru side.
Chapungu remaining matches: Black Rhinos (home); Highlanders (away):
Triangle
The Sugar Sugar Boys, as they are affectionately known by their legion of fans in the Lowveld, are tied at 34 points together with Chapungu and Harare City and are also candidates for relegation.
On paper, Triangle will have relatively easier assignments considering that they will play the all two remaining matches in Chiredzi.
In their last two matches of the season when they engage relegated Chiredzi FC at Chishamiso stadium before taking on Shabanie Mine at their favourite hunting ground of Hippo.
Perhaps they will be banking on fellow Lowveld outfit Chiredzi for a favour considering that the latter is already out of the Premiership and will have nothing but pride to play for.
Triangle remaining matches: Chiredzi (away); Shabani Mine (home):
Harare City
The Sunshine City Boys have also amassed 34 points so far and appear to be the team with a mammoth task among those in the relegation zone.
Although they hit a purple patch in form since the arrival of Masimba Dinyero, Harare City will have the unenviable task of dating a seemingly resurgent CAPS United as well as plucky Chicken Inn.
The Sunshine City Boys are lying fifth from bottom — just one slot above the cut-off position – a situation that further complicates their hopes of surviving relegation.
Harare City Remaining matches: CAPS United (away); Chicken Inn (home):
Black Rhinos
The Harare army side knows full well that relegation is a possibility given that they are actually in the bottom four as the league season teeters towards the end.
Their match against Chapungu away from home will certainly not be an easy task given that the Gweru airmen are also fighting relegation and would not want to lose points especially when playing before their home crowd.
Their last encounter of the season up against Bantu Rovers is also a tricky one considering how Bantu Rovers have suddenly become party spoilers of repute even though they are already relegated.
Black Rhinos remaining matches: Chapungu (away); Bantu Rovers (home):
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