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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
SOUTHERN Region Soccer League leaders Bulawayo City can be the first lower division side to earn a 2016 Premier Soccer League ticket today if they beat ZPC Hwange and Bulawayo Chiefs lose to Indlovu Iyanyathela.

City top the table with 59 points, seven points ahead of Chiefs with four games before the season ends.

The local authority-bankrolled club has dubbed today’s clash with electricity generators “a must win” and could power themselves into the PSL this afternoon at Bulawayo’s ceremonial home of soccer, Barbourfields Stadium.

City are six points from writing their piece of history — winning the PSL ticket on their first attempt. A City win and a Chiefs defeat will see the former getting to an unassailable 62 points and be crowned champions with three games left.

However, it won’t be that easy for City as perennial campaigners ZPC Hwange can spring a shocker and stall the party for the former.

Just like ZPC Hwange, Chiefs, who threw in the title towel a month ago, are targeting a strong finish meaning that City’s celebrations should be on hold.

“For us it’s a must win encounter against ZPC Hwange.

“It will be nice if Indlovu Iyanyathela becomes the catalyst of early celebrations by beating Chiefs and if they don’t win (Indlovu Iyanyathela), we will not be bothered as the championship is ours to lose,” said City chairman Jerry Sibanda.

About playing at Barbourfields Sibanda said; “The players, coaches and everyone at Bulawayo City wants to get the feel of playing at the ceremonial home of soccer in preparation for next season.

City of Bulawayo football loving people should come to Barbourfields Stadium in their numbers and see their team before it goes into the elite league.”

With the championship in their hands to lose, Sibanda said they will alternate between Luveve, White City and Barbourfields when they get into the PSL.

Last week City suffered a minor setback, giving Chiefs some hope when they dropped two points playing to a 0-0 draw against Black Boots.

They will be hoping to bounce back to winning ways and bid First Division football goodbye in style by winning all their remaining games, something that coach Philani “Beefy” Ncube intends to do.

“In football there are three results, a win, draw or a defeat. You don’t win every time though you strive to do so always and we’ve grown to accept any result that comes our way.

My desire is to collect all the points that we play for but then the teams we meet also want to beat us. We’ll work hard to ensure that we end the season strongly and set a strong footing for next season,” said City’s award-winning coach.

Across town at Fairbridge, Chiefs can underestimate Indlovu Iyanyathela at their own peril as coach Bekithemba “Super” Ndlovu has done well to turn around the army side’s fortunes in the second half of the season.

Indlovu Iyanyathela are likely to give Chiefs a good run for their money.

Fixtures

Today: Ntabazinduna v Trumus (Ntabazinduna), Mpumalanga v Nust (Hwange), Bulawayo Chiefs v Indlovu Iyanyathela (Fairbridge), Bulawayo City v ZPC Hwange (Barbourfields), Technosphere v Black Boots (Hwange), Amagagasi v Casmyn (Victoria Falls), Bantu Rovers v Hwange Juniors (White City)