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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
DEBUTANTS Toronto are confident of climbing out of the drop zone despite being the only team yet to win a match in the Southern Region Division One League after eight games.
The Pumula East-based side has found the going tough in the second tier league by managing five draws and three losses.
At the weekend, Toronto drew 0-0 with ZPC Hwange in a match they could have easily won. Defender Smart Dauda failed to convert a penalty for Toronto seven minutes from full time.
It is Toronto’s ability to get into the box and win penalties that gives coach Ghetto Nkala hope that they will soon turn the corner.
“This is the first time for us to be in the First Division and our boys are still learning the demands of Division One. We’re getting there; we’re adapting and now know how to play in Division One. When we started, we were playing a passing game, but realised that in as much as the passing game is good for the eye, Division One has its style and we now have had to change our preferred style,” said Nkala.
“If you look at it, we’re not far from other teams and we need just one win to break the barren spell. We are getting into scoring positions and it’s only a matter of time. So far we’ve missed three penalties in three games. We missed a penalty against Tsholotsho when they were leading us 1-0 and had we converted maybe that would have changed. We also missed a last minute penalty against NRZ Leopards and we drew 0-0. At the weekend we also missed a penalty against ZPC Hwange and maybe the reason we miss is because our boys are not mature enough to handle the pressure,” he said.
Dauda, a former Bosso 90 player, the duo of Mgcini Moyo and Phindani Ngwenya, who had stints with Talen Vision, as well as Nyasha Chiweshe are the only ones at Toronto with First Division experience.
While Toronto struggle, fellow new boys CIWU are enjoying a good run, occupying fourth place on the table with 13 points and trailing log leaders Hwange by four points. CIWU drew 1-1 with Bosso 90 at the weekend.
Moto Moto, who won one of two slots from Matabeleland North Province last season, produced a shocker at the weekend by beating Rahman Gumbo’s Makomo 1-0. Moto Moto are in eighth place with 11 points.
Week 8 Results
Casmyn 0-2 Mosi Rovers, Indlovu Iyanyathela 0-0 Tsholotsho, CIWU 1-1 Bosso 90, Main Line 1-0 ZRP Bulawayo, Toronto 0-0 ZPC Hwange, Makomo 0-1 Moto Moto, Zim Leopards 1-0 NRZ Leopards, Hwange 2-1 Talen Vision
Table
P W D L F A GD Pts
Hwange 8 5 2 1 13 4 9 17
Tsholotsho 8 4 4 0 8 3 5 16
Makomo 8 3 4 1 9 6 3 13
CIWU 8 3 4 1 8 6 2 13
ZPC Hwange 8 3 4 1 6 4 2 13
Mosi Rovers 8 4 1 3 11 10 1 13
Indlovu Iyanyathela 8 3 3 2 7 7 0 12
Moto Moto 8 4 2 3 7 5 2 11
Talen Vision 8 2 4 2 12 9 3 10
Main Line 8 3 1 4 8 9 -1 10
Bosso 90 8 2 4 2 7 8 -1 10
Zim Leopards 8 2 2 4 8 13 -5 8
Casmyn 8 1 3 4 3 7 -4 6
NRZ Leopards 8 1 3 4 3 8 -5 6
ZRP Bulawayo 8 1 2 5 5 11 -6 5
Toronto 8 0 5 3 2 8 -6 5
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