Bosso’s miserable second half…4th worst record in last 17 matches

Harare Bureau
ZIMBABWE football giants Highlanders, who threatened to run away with the championship at one stage, would have been relegated from the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League had the season been based on the second half of the 2023 campaign.
Bosso, who were unbeaten in the opening 19 matches, had the Fourth Worst record in the last 17 games of the season with 18 points and were only better than Cranborne Bullets, Triangle and Bulawayo Chiefs in the second half.
A good start to the season is the reason Highlanders eventually finished in fifth place on the final league standings.
They were unbeaten after 17 games but lost seven times in the second half of the season, dropping 19 points more and conceding 18 goals in 17 games compared to just four in the opening half of the season.
Highlanders managed just four wins in the second half of the season, a poor record only beaten by Triangle and Cranborne Bullets who both won three games.
They were toothless in front of goal and managed just nine goals in 17 matches of the second half, with only Cranborne Bullets doing worse (eight) -the only two teams without double digits.
But despite the second half collapse, Highlanders ended the campaign with a 1-0 victory over champions Ngezi Platinum at Barbourfields on Sunday to complete a double over the miners after a similar result in the reverse fixture at Baobab on July 30.
NGEZI PLATINUM
Ngezi Platinum have a unique record in the second half of the season as they did not have a draw in all 17 matches, which yielded 12 wins and five defeats.
All of their five defeats in the second half of the season came away from Baobab as they lost against Herentals (0-1), FC Platinum (0-1), Dynamos (1-2), Hwange (0-1) and
Highlanders (0-1).
They won all the matches at Baobab, including a supposedly away match against Simba Bhora.
Ngezi Platinum scored the most goals in the second half of the season (24) followed by Yadah (23), Manica Diamonds (22), FC Platinum (21) and Herentals (20).
BLACK RHINOS
Of the four teams relegated from the Premiership at the weekend, Black Rhinos were the most disappointed as they had an impressive second half performance that gave them the SIXTH best record in the last 17 games.
Black Rhinos collected 26 points in the second half of the season and in the end they finished just two points away from safety, something that is blamed on their disastrous first half of the season in which they managed just 12 points.
Saul Chaminuka’s arrival changed Black Rhinos’ fortunes but, as it turned out, it was a little too late for the army side.
OTHERS
Sheasham and Cranborne Bullets, who were both relegated, had the most defeats in the second half of the season (9).
Dynamos had the best defence in the second half as they conceded just eight goals in 17 matches, which was their record in the first half as well giving DeMbare an overall best defensive record for the season with 16 conceded in 34 matches.
ZPC Kariba had the Worst defence in the second half of the season as they let in 25 goals, followed by Yadah (23) and Triangle.
Chicken Inn had the Most draws (9) in the second half of the season followed by CAPS United and Triangle who both had seven.
Second Half
Club P W D L F A Pts
Ngezi Platinum 17 12 0 5 24 10 36
Manica Diamonds 17 8 5 4 22 13 29
Dynamos 17 8 5 4 15 8 29
FcPlatinum 17 8 5 4 21 15 29
Herentals College 17 8 3 6 20 17 27
Black Rhinos 17 7 5 5 19 18 26
Hwange 17 7 4 6 13 10 25
Simba Bhora 17 6 5 6 17 13 23
Yadah 17 7 2 8 23 23 23
Greenfuel 17 6 5 6 13 17 23
Caps United 17 5 7 5 19 19 22
Chicken Inn 17 4 9 4 17 13 21
ZPC Kariba 17 6 3 8 13 25 21
Sheasham 17 5 3 9 15 20 18
Highlanders 17 4 6 7 9 18 18
Bulawayo Chiefs 17 4 5 8 14 18 17
Triangle 17 3 7 7 14 22 16
Cranborne Bullets 17 3 5 9 8 17 14
Halfway Stage
Club P W D L F A Pts
Highlanders 17 10 7 0 15 4 37
Ngezi Platinum 17 8 6 3 21 13 30
Manica Diamonds 17 8 5 4 20 10 29
Dynamos 17 7 7 3 22 8 28
Chicken Inn 17 7 7 3 18 13 28
Fc Platinum 17 7 5 5 16 14 26
Caps United 17 6 6 5 18 13 24
Herentals College 17 6 6 5 18 16 24
Bulawayo Chiefs 17 6 5 6 23 20 23
Zpc Kariba 17 6 3 8 13 23 21
Green Fuel 17 5 5 7 14 17 20
Hwange 17 5 5 7 14 17 20
Triangle 17 3 10 4 10 14 19
Simba Bhora 17 3 8 6 12 14 17
Sheasham 17 2 11 4 8 16 17
Yadah 17 5 2 10 12 23 17
Cranborne Bullets 17 3 4 10 8 16 13
Black Rhinos 17 2 6 9 8 19 12
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