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Tsholotsho coach Darlington Dodo

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
CASTLE Lager Premiership tail enders should set the league ablaze from this weekend as they fight to avoid the chop from the topflight.

The bottom four sides will be relegated to Division One at the end of the season and with Bantu Rovers having claimed one of those slots already, the fight for survival will see the other three bottom sides going for broke.

The other side seemingly delaying the inevitable is second from bottom Tsholotsho FC, who need nothing short of a miracle to avoid the axe.

Tsholotsho are on 21 points from 29 games and are just 90 minutes away from bidding farewell to the Premiership after three seasons in the topflight if they don’t win their next match against Bantu Rovers in Beitbridge tomorrow.

Even if they clear the Rovers hurdle, Tsholotsho have a thorny road to the end of the season, as they still have to face title chasing Chicken Inn and FC Platinum, before taking on fellow strugglers Triangle United and then wrapping up their campaign with a home game against Black Rhinos.

To survive relegation, Tsholotsho, who can mathematically end the season with 36 points should they win all their remaining matches, will need Bulawayo City, who are on 35 points, Harare City (34), Yadah (34), Shabanie Mine (31) and Hwange (30) to lose all their games.

With Tsholotsho next in line for the chop, five other clubs, Hwange, Shabanie, Yadah, Harare City and Triangle will remain entangled in the relegation storm.

Only five points separate 11th placed Triangle United and 14th placed Shabanie, making this a very competitive fight for survival.

Shabanie are at home to Triangle tomorrow and should they win, they will close in on their opponents, leaving a two point-gap and giving the Zvishavane side reason to believe that they can make good their relegation escape.

Shabanie’s remaining games will be away to Black Rhinos, Hwange (home), How Mine (away) and Yadah (home) on the last day of the season.

Yadah, who have been playing well of late, face Chibuku Super Cup finalists How Mine this afternoon at Rufaro Stadium hard pressed for a win to increase their survival hopes.

A defeat or a draw against How Mine and a victory for Shabanie tomorrow will see Yadah dropping to the last relegation spot by swopping positions with Shabanie.

Starting with today’s clash with How Mine, Yadah will stay in Harare to play Bulawayo City, Caps United and Highlanders before travelling to Zvishavane for their last game of the season against Shabanie.

Bulawayo City, who beat How Mine 2-1 in their last league game to move four points clear of the relegation zone, are targeting Chapungu’s scalp this afternoon at Barbourfields Stadium.

“Chapungu are tricky opponents and this is one game we have to win to give ourselves a little cushion. If we can reproduce the performance we put up against How Mine and turn in our chances, I’m sure we can get a positive result. At this stage of the season, I’ve emphasised the need to fight even if it means breaking our legs to save the team,” said Mandla Mpofu, the Bulawayo City coach.

Bulawayo City face Yadah in their next assignment before playing host to title chasing Dynamos. They will then travel to Caps United and end their season with a home tie against Bantu Rovers.

Fixtures Matchday 30

Today: Bulawayo City v Chapungu (Barbourfields), Yadah FC v How Mine (Rufaro), Ngezi Platinum v Dynamos (Baobab, SuperSport, 4PM), ZPC Kariba v Chicken Inn (Nyamhunga)

Tomorrow: Tsholotsho FC v Bantu Rovers (Dulivhadzimu), Shabanie Mine v Triangle United (Maglas), Highlanders v Black Rhinos (Barbourfields), Caps United v Hwange (National Sports Stadium). — @ZililoR