Tongogara set pace in Central Region

Ricky Zililo

ARMY outfit Tongogara Football Club are the early pacesetters in the Central Region Soccer League, occupying the top spot after four matches with 10 points.

The former Premier Soccer League side are two points clear of ex-topflight and championship favourites TelOne FC having played the same number of games.

Coached by Calvin Maphosa, Tongogara have scored the most number of goals in the league – 10 – and conceded three.

Tongogara have three wins and a draw which came on the opening day of the season when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Bishopstone who are coached by former AmaZulu and Highlanders midfielder Thomas Banda.

Since then, Tongogara has won three consecutive matches, beating CM Academy of Beitbridge 4-1 at the border town, Shabanie Mine (3-0) and Loss Control 2-1 in Zvishavane.

Maphosa, whose side ended on position six last season behind champions Sheasham, TelOne, now defunct Vubachikwe, Chapungu and Dulibadzimu United brushed aside his team’s championship prospects.

“To talk about the championship favourites will be premature but we want to say the good start we’re having is because of perfect preseason preparations we had. We had so many friendly matches against Division Two sides as a way of building our confidence and that is why we’re not goal shy.

“A close look into the level of competition in our league shows that there are no title favourites as there’s a five-point gap between us and eighth placed Kwekwe United. Just a slip, we lose the top spot. So, we will try to keep fighting and see where this fine run takes us,” said Maphosa.

Tongogara face a stern test in their next outing when they play host to third on the table Midlands State University (MSU) who are tied on eight points with TelOne.

MSU edged Kwekwe United 2-1 in their last match.

Maphosa who maintained the bulk of last season’s squad will look at young players who include 20-year-old midfield duo of Michael Zimba and Takudzwa Muparutsa who joined the club from Kwekwe United at the beginning of the season.

Tongogara also have 22-year-old striker Simon Sanga, forward Shelton Mhaka and attacking midfielder Marshy Mugaviri to play a key role during their campaign.

Meanwhile, in their next encounter, fifth placed Dulibadzimu United who held TelOne to a 0-0 draw in Gweru play a derby against Bishopstone who stunned Chapungu 1-0.

Central Region Soccer League Week 4 Results

TelOne 0-0 Dulibadzimu United, Kwekwe united 1-2 MSU, Shabanie Mine 1-1 Blanket Mine, Bishopstone 1-0 Chapungu, Loss Control 1-2 Tongogara, CM Academy 0-1 ZPC Munyati

Central Region Soccer League Week 5 Fixtures

Saturday, May 13: Chapungu v CM Academy (Ascot), ZPC Munyati v Shabani Mine (Munyati), Dulibadzimu United v Bishopstone (Dulibdzimu), FC Platinum Under-19 v Kwekwe United (Mandava), Amazon v TelOne (Sun Yet Sen)

Sunday, May 14: Blanket Mne v Loss Control (Long John Stadium) – @ZililoR