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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
ZPC Kariba FC fired to the top of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League after edging Yadah Stars 1-0 yesterday.
The electricity generators have been doing their business quietly and proved that they’ll have a say in the destiny of the league title, as the race took a new twist.
ZPC Kariba sit on 39 points from 22 games; one point ahead of Chicken Inn and Caps United.
Chicken Inn had made a giant step towards securing a second domestic league crown with victory over fellow contenders, FC Platinum.
The GameCocks beat the defending champions 2-1 at Mandava Stadium to dislodge them from the top of the league table for 24 hours before ZPC Kariba overtook them.
Valentine Kadonzvo and veteran Guide Goddard were on target to take their points’ tally to 38, the same as Caps United. However, Chicken Inn enjoy a superior goal difference over Caps United, who have also played one game more than the GameCocks.
Chicken Inn, FC Platinum and Caps United are the main rivals for the Castle Lager Premiership title, but they’re struggling with lack of consistency. All three teams have at some point topped the league table, but failed to maintain pole position.
Chicken Inn’s title dream was under threat after a string of poor results in recent weeks, but two wins in a row seem to have turned the corner for them.
Chicken Inn coach, Joey Antipas, said it’s key for his side to keep the winning momentum.
“If we continue with this type of spirit then we are there to challenge for the championship. The spirit was absolutely magnificent in our game against FC Platinum and we hope to maintain that,” said Antipas.
Caps United failed to go past relegation-threatened Bulawayo Chiefs in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Luveve Stadium. The game gave an indication that the Green Machine will struggle in the title race after being dumped by Lloyd Chitembwe and his technical team for neighbours, Harare City.
Five points separate Chicken Inn and sixth-placed Dynamos. Mathematically, DeMbare can still bulldoze their way into the title matrix. With the unpredictable nature of this year’s campaign, it will be interesting to see if the Harare giants can mount a late title push.
Highlanders’ woes continued to mount with another lacklustre performance against Mushowani Stars at Barbourfields Stadium. The fading giants are in the relegation zone and battling with the four teams at the bottom of the league table to remain afloat.
Coach Mandla Mpofu and his technical team have fallen short of the six-point ultimatum from three games, as they were beaten 2-1 by Triangle United and drew 0-0 against Mushowani Stars.
Bosso have scored the least number of goals in the league, with 13 in total from 21 games. Only seven points separate Bosso and bottom-placed Yadah. — @innocentskizoe
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