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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
WHILE some football followers have accused Dynamos of throwing their game against Caps United on Sunday, Highlanders’ goalkeepers’ coach and technical advisor Cosmos “Tsano” Zulu has applauded DeMbare for stealing a point.

Dynamos shockingly blew a 3-0 lead in the last five minutes of their Harare derby, allowing Caps United to score three goals and snatch a valuable point for the title aspirants.

A defeat for Caps United and a two-goal margin win for Highlanders would have pushed the latter to the top of the table on superior goal difference.

Caps United remain on top with 54 points, one ahead of second-placed Highlanders who dismissed Bulawayo City 3-1 at Barbourfields Stadium.

With three minutes to the end of the match at Barbourfields Stadium, most Highlanders’ fans were ecstatic thinking they now occupied top spot since the last they had heard was that Caps United were trailing 0-3 and Bosso were leading 2-1. Substitute King Nadolo then struck on the stroke of fulltime to give Bosso a 3-1 victory.

However, the Bosso fans’ celebrations were subdued when they learnt that Caps United had staged a stunning comeback to force a share of the spoils.

Just like Bafana Bafana’s embarrassing celebrations of their supposed 2012 Afcon qualifier at the end of a goalless draw against Sierra Leone in Nelspruit, some Highlanders’ fans that had stopped following events at the National Sports Stadium thought their team was now on top and started dancing wildly on the terraces to music belting from the PA system.

Just like the Bafana Bafana players, the fans looked dejected when they were made aware that they now trailed Caps United by a point as the unthinkable had happened in Harare.

The fans then took to social media to accuse Dynamos of “helping” Caps United.

But Zulu dismissed Bosso fans’ insinuation of match-fixing, saying Caps United went into Sunday’s game as favourites.

“Unlike most people, I thank Dynamos for taking off two important points from Caps United. Based on Dynamos’ form, I never thought that they were going to get anything from Caps United. Holding Caps United and taking away two points from their neighbours is good for us as it gives us hope. We closed the gap to a point and we are still dreaming with the hope of waking up to a fulfilled dream at the end of the season,” said Zulu.

Actually Dynamos did well to race into a 3-0 lead to avoid an embarrassing loss to their noisy neighbours.

For a Dynamos side that lost 1-2 to relegated Border Strikers in Beitbridge, DeMbare actually outdid themselves by scoring three goals against Caps United because their performances have been nothing but mediocre this season.

Dynamos forgot about the “favour” Caps United did for them on the last day of the season in 2014 by beating ZPC Kariba who needed a draw to clinch the title.

Caps United beat ZPC Kariba 3-2 to hand the title to Dynamos.

Caps United now have to ensure they don’t drop points in their last three games of the season if they’re to land the title they last lifted in 2005.

Caps United, like Highlanders and FC Platinum, fancy their title chances, but are left with tricky games.

Caps United’s next match is against Harare City whom they beat 2-1 in the first leg. It’s an unpredictable game for Caps United as Harare City handed title chasing FC Platinum a 1-2 loss a fortnight ago, and the Green Machine should be wary of Moses Chunga’s side which is aiming for a respectable finish.

After the Harare City encounter, Caps United will host Ngezi Platinum Stars at the National Sports Stadium. The two teams drew 1-1 in the reverse fixture.

Ngezi Platinum showed that they are no pushovers at the weekend by holding FC Platinum to a 1-1 draw.

Caps United wrap up their season with an away trip to Gweru for a date against Chapungu.

Second-placed Highlanders’ next game is against relegation staring Tsholotsho FC, who beat Chapungu 2-1 to keep their survival dream alive.

Bosso then travel to Mandava Stadium in Zvishavane to face FC Platinum, hoping the platinum miners would have been eliminated from the race by then.

Highlanders end their season with a home game against Hwange.

FC Platinum have watched their title dreams slowly vanishing in the past few weeks and face Chapungu in Gweru in their next game, followed by Highlanders in Zvishavane before ending their campaign in Bulawayo against Tsholotsho.

Results

Saturday: Mutare City Rovers 3-0 Border Strikers, Chicken Inn 2-0 ZPC Kariba, Tsholotsho FC 2-1 Chapungu, FC Platinum 1-1 Ngezi Platinum Stars

Sunday: Hwange 2-1 Harare City, Triangle United 1-2 How Mine, Highlanders 3-1 Bulawayo City, Caps United 3-3 Dynamos

Table
P     W    D    L    F    A    GD    Pts
Caps United    27    15    9    3    39    21    18    54
Highlanders    27    16    5    6    37    19    18    53
FC Platinum    27    14    10    3     30    15    15    52
ZPC Kariba    27    10    11    6    21    18    3    41
Dynamos    27    10    10    7    24    21    3    40
Chicken Inn    27    10    8    9    26    18    8    38
Harare City    27    11    5    11    30    24    6    38
How Mine    27    8    11    8    26    24    2    35
Ngezi Platinum    27    9    8    10    24    26    -2    35
Bulawayo City    27    9    8    10    22    24    -2    35
Hwange    27    9    8    10    24    29    -5    35
Triangle United    27    9    7    11    25    31    -6    34
Chapungu    27    7    10    10    22    24    -2    31
*Mutare City    27    7    7    13    22    37    -15    25
Tsholotsho FC    27    6    5    16    20    32    -12    23
Border Strikers    27    4    2    21    10    39    -29    14

*Three points deducted for use of a suspended player.

@ZililoR