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Ricky Zililo and Lovemore Zigara Sports Reporters
BULAWAYO Chiefs toppled bitter rivals and Southern Region Soccer League title favourites Bulawayo City from the top of the table following a rampant 6-0 victory over Old Nic Mine at the weekend.

Chiefs are now tied on 37 points with City, but lead through a better goal difference.

City played an away goalless draw against Ntabazinduna.

Chiefs, who last occupied the top spot in Week Five, got their weekend goals through nomadic striker Thabani Moyo, Joseph Mutambiranwa and Surprise Ndlovu.

Moyo, who has had stints in Cyprus and Botswana, and also played for Highlanders, Caps United and Black Boots scored a hat-trick, while Mutambiranwa scored a brace in the massacre.

It was Moyo’s first game for Chiefs after a frustrating five months at Caps United.

With the top two sides now seven points clear of third placed Bantu Rovers, the City-Chiefs clash is likely to decide the title race.

“It’s still early days to talk about the championship. We still have 13 more games to play and anyone can win this race. Look, Bantu Rovers, ZPC Hwange and Casmyn are not far,” said Chiefs coach Thulani Sibanda.

“This is a marathon and one time you lead, City leads and ZPC Hwange leads. We all exchange that top position. What’s important is to be at the top when the season ends and we’re trying to continue playing beautiful football that gets us points,” he said.

Chiefs benched key forwards Ishmael Wadi and Kundishora Chakunyuka for the relatively easy encounter, but the two are set to return to action in their next encounter against City.

Both Chiefs and City should be wary of former Premiership side Bantu Rovers, who are making a steady rise.

Bantu Rovers beat basement club Mpumalanga 3-0, with goals from Tshidzani Annot Malaba, Lenience “Qobho” Mpofu and ex-Bosso junior star Gladman Bharibhari.

ZPC Hwange ended a five-match winless streak by edging Trumus 1-0, courtesy of a Craven Tamirepi strike. Black Boots beat Makomo 2-0 in Hwange.

In the Central Soccer League (CSL), Tongogara will fancy their chances of snatching the sole promotional ticket into the Premiership after reaching the halfway mark at the top of the table.

The army side has so far accumulated 32 points from 15 games following a 1-1 draw against ZETDC Southern Region to go a point clear of second placed Border Strikers, who were held to a 0-0 draw by Chrome Stars.

Since the inception of the CSL in 2010, which saw FC Platinum (then known as Mimosa) winning the first ticket into the Premiership, the team that reaches the halfway stage at the top, has gone to win the championship.

Hardbody (2011), Tripple B (2012) and Chapungu (2013) also led the standings at this stage and went on to be promoted.

Whawha also achieved the same feat last season.

Meanwhile, the CSL management has reduced the traditional mid-season break from two weeks to one.

Clubs usually get a two-week break at the halfway stage, but Central League chairman Felton Kamambo said they would be given a one-week break that will coincide with the league’s extraordinary general meeting (EGM).

Part of a letter Kamambo wrote to the clubs reads: “. . . clubs are hereby advised that the first half of the season ended on the 26th of July 2015. The association would like to inform your esteemed office and person that the league will break for one week from 31 August 2015 to 6 September 2015 when we convene the CSL EGM. Kindly note that all second half fixtures for (the) 2015 season are resuming on Saturday 1 August 2015.”

 

Results: ZRP Beitbridge 0–0 Blanket Mine, ZETDC Southern Region 1–1 Tongogara, MSU FC 2-4 Ivan Hoe Mine, FC Platinum U19 2-0 Vumbachikwe, Chrome Stars 0–0 Border Strikers, Shabanie Mine 2–0 Silo United, ZPC Munyati 1–1 Sable Chemicals, Gweru United 1–0 Mvuma

Results: Indlovu Inyanyathela 1-0 Casmyn, Bantu Rovers 3-0 Mpumalanga, Makomo 0-2 Black Boots, ZPC Hwange 1-0 Trumus, Ntabazinduna 0-0 Bulawayo City, Technosphere 0-0 Amagagasi, Bulawayo Chiefs 6-0 Old Nic Mine, Hwange Juniors 0-2 Nust

P W D L F A GD Pts

Bulawayo Chiefs 17 11 4 2 26 7 19 37

Bulawayo City 17 11 4 2 23 4 19 37

Bantu Rovers 17 9 3 5 23 13 10 30

ZPC Hwange 17 8 6 3 14 7 7 30

Casmyn 17 8 5 4 17 15 2 29

Technosphere 17 7 5 5 19 11 8 26

Makomo 17 7 5 5 13 12 1 26

Black Boots 17 6 7 4 19 14 5 25

Ntabazinduna 17 7 4 6 19 15 4 25

Amagagasi 17 5 8 4 13 15 -2 23

Indlovu Iyanyathela 17 6 4 7 11 13 -2 22

Trumus 17 3 10 4 7 10 -3 17

Nust 17 2 7 8 10 18 -8 13

Hwange Juniors 17 2 5 10 10 23 -13 11

Old Nic Mine 17 1 6 10 7 31 -24 8

Mpumalanga 17 1 3 13 5 28 -23 6