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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
FADING Bulawayo giants Highlanders are among the worst performing Castle Lager Premier Soccer League teams in the second half of the season.

Six rounds of the final PSL games have been played and Highlanders are among the five underperforming clubs that have collected five points or less.

Bosso have collected five points together with How Mine, Chapungu and Buffaloes while Tsholotsho FC have only amassed four points from four outings.

Save for Buffaloes and Tsholotsho, ZPC Kariba, Flame Lily, Whawha and Dongo Sawmill, who are all behind Bosso, have collected more points than the Bulawayo giants.

Highlanders’ form has been so bad that even the realistic chance of a top four finish they had at the halfway mark, has now vanished.

After 15 rounds of matches, Highlanders were on position nine with 20 points, six behind How Mine, who occupied fourth spot then.

It is now week 21 and Highlanders are on 10th position after being toppled by Hwange whose second half of the season display has been remarkable. They collected 13 points from a possible 18 points in six outings.

On Week 15, Hwange were fifth from the bottom with 15 points but have now jumped to eighth place where they are tied with Chapungu on 28 points.

The coalminers seem to have found the right gear and this has boosted the players’ confidence but the same cannot be said of Bosso.

With Highlanders coach Bongani Mafu already sitting in the club’s departure lounge waiting for the outcome of today’s executive meeting, players whose contracts expire at the end of the year are left with nine league matches to save their careers at Bosso.

They have to take the club out of the hellhole they plunged into.

Bosso are left with four away matches against Harare City, Caps United, Chapungu and Hwange, while their home games are against Flame Lily, Dongo Sawmill, Buffaloes, Tsholotsho and ZPC Kariba.

While Highlanders have been struggling, Norman Mapeza’s FC Platinum have been in fine form, amassing 16 points from a possible 18, and in the process establishing themselves as serious title contenders.

The platinum miners are now third on the table and trail leaders Chicken Inn by five points.

The Zvishavane side takes on Dynamos in their next league match at Mandava and a victory could edge the miners closer to the title.