Byo City, Chiefs dabble with danger Amini Soma-Phiri
Amini Soma-Phiri

Amini Soma-Phiri

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
WITH three match days left before the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season reaches the halfway stage, two Southern Region teams Bulawayo Chiefs and Bulawayo City are precariously dabbling in the relegation zone.

City are second from the bottom of the league table with 10 points from 14 games, two points above bottom side Mutare City Rovers, while Chiefs occupy 15th position, the last relegation slot, with 12 points.

The Southern Region is in danger of losing two teams at the end of the season, adding to five clubs lost from topflight football in two seasons. Tsholotsho, Bantu Rovers and Hwange were axed from the topflight at the end of the 2017 season.

Tsholotsho, Bantu Rovers and Hwange found themselves failing to climb out of the drop zone for long period until they finally got the chop alongside Harare City.

Luckily for Harare City, they returned to the PSL without kicking a ball in the First Division after How Mine folded.

Chiefs made a promising start to the season and even went on a four-match unbeaten run, collecting six points from three draws and a win, but the rigours of Premiership football seem to have blown the steam out of them.

They have now gone for seven games without a win, only managing three points from three draws.

Chiefs are left with tricky games, starting with Sunday’s encounter with log leaders Ngezi Platinum Stars at Luveve Stadium, followed by a local derby against Highlanders and a game against ZPC Kariba before the mid-season break.

These three games will be key in their survival fight heading into the final lap. The mid-season break starts after Match Day 17 on the weekend of June 16-17 up to July 7. The mid-season transfer window opens on July 1 and Chiefs will get a chance to beef up its squad to fight for survival.

One key area that Chiefs have to strengthen is the strike force, as they have been forced to play most matches without outright strikers, following injuries to their front men. Captain Kundishora Chakanyuka, Dylan Chivandire, Mgcini Mpofu and Farawu Matare have all been sidelined by injuries.

Chiefs’ executive will also have to find means to motivate their players, who are surviving on “keep goings”, as financial challenges have struck the club.

On the other end, City, who fired coach Darlington Dodo and replaced him with Amini-Soma Phiri, have what looks like two relatively easy games from their remaining three matches before the halfway mark.

City are expected to pick maximum points tomorrow at home against Yadah and Match Day 17 fixture in Bulawayo against table anchors Mutare City Rovers. After Yadah, City heads to Harare for a tough encounter with Caps United.

Phiri is confident of saving City and has won one out of the four games that he has been in charge of. He has also spoken about the desire to offload five players to make way for the same number to bolster his squad.

While City and Chiefs struggle, Highlanders and Chicken Inn occupy third and fourth positions respectively on the log.

Fixtures

Today: Black Rhinos v Chicken Inn (National Sports Stadium)

Tomorrow: FC Platinum v Shabanie Mine (Mandava), Herentals v Nichrut (National Sports Stadium), Harare City v Highlanders (Rufaro), Bulawayo City v Yadah (Barbourfields)

Sunday: Caps United v Mutare City Rovers (National Sports Stadium), Chapungu v ZPC Kariba (Ascot), Bulawayo Chiefs v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Luveve), Triangle United v Dynamos (Gibbo)
— @ZililoR

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