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Bulawayo soccer giants Highlanders FC have started rebranding their premises. Club chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede stands in front of their branded Robert Mugabe Street office wall yesterday. BancABC are Highlanders’ chief sponsors while Adidas are their kit sponsors.

Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter—
HWANGE Football Club is now at the top of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League after 11 weeks of action followed by Highlanders and on third position is How Mine. Hwange won the match at the weekend beating defending champions Dynamos 1-0 at the Colliery Stadium getting their goal from South Africa bound Eric Chipeta who converted from the penalty spot. DeMbare last won at the Colliery in October 2012 when they beat Chipangano 2-0.

The weekend win for Hwange is a confirmation that the coalminers are serious championship contenders.
Nation Dube, Hwange’s mentor whose side has 22 points from 11 matches, just a point ahead of Highlanders and How Mine was full of praise for his lads.

“It was a good but tough game with us controlling the first half while Dynamos dominated the last. The players gave their all and were resolute in defence as we tried to get them on a counter but we were at times too late.

“Everyone is happy with this result but we are not reading much into it because games against the likes of Dynamos and Highlanders are self motivating now we have to prepare for forthcoming matches. The Premiership race is like a marathon and now we have just finished the first third and it is our wish that at the end of the season we end at the top. It’s a wish that can be achieved if we take each game seriously,” Dube said.

While Dube and his charges were busy celebrating their great performance over Harare giants, former champions Highlanders registered their sixth draw of the season after being held to a 1-1 draw by Triangle. The result leaves many questions unanswered, as in 2012 and 2013 Bosso lost the championship on an inferior goal difference to Dynamos after losing unnecessary points on draws.

Could they be on course for another heartache?
Their unbeaten run will eventually mean nothing as the six draws has seen them losing 12 out of a possible 18 points which is the same as losing four matches.

The performance by Bosso players against Triangle that saw them surrender a 1-0 lead disappointed coach Kelvin Kaindu.
“All the players were just not in it. The attitude that we took there was bad because the boys underrated our opponents. It was possible for us to get maximum points but we had a poor first half. That kind of approach doesn’t help at all and going to the Dynamos game we have to work on our attitude because it will be a different ball game altogether,” said Kaindu.

Bosso players are therefore in for a tough talk before their training session today.
The result in Triangle is not the best that Bulawayo giants needed going for the weekend epic battle against perennial rivals Dynamos at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.

With DeMbare coming from a defeat, Bosso should expect a tough game as their opponents will charge at them like wounded buffaloes. Highlanders have not beaten Dynamos in the last seven years and it is this jinx that they are hard-pressed to break.

Highlanders’ faithfuls will be praying that Kudakwashe Mahachi who picked a knock in Triangle recovers in time for the big game which will be screened live on the “world of champions” SuperSport.

“The doctors will asses him (Mahachi) tomorrow and it is only then that we will know whether he has a serious injury or not. He was limping after the game but I hope it’s not something serious,” Kaindu said.

Last season’s Mbada Diamonds losing finalists How Mine are also making their presence in the championship race felt.
They beat Buffaloes 2-1 in Mutare with coach Philani “Beefy” Ncube taking a dig at critics who have been saying he has an ageing squad.
“We are in the league to compete. My old horses are pulling hard because they know that their bread is being buttered on the field of play. What we just have to do is to keep on working hard,” he said.

Veterans at How Mine are Menard Mupera, goalkeeper Ephraim Mazarura who was part of Zimbabwe’s squads that played at the Afcon finals in 2004 (Tunisia) and Egypt (2006), defenders Gilbert Banda, Nyasha Mukumbi and George Magariro.

Meanwhile, Joey Antipas’ Chicken Inn moved into the top eight leap-frogging Shabanie Mine who lost 0-3 to Caps United, FC Platinum who were held to a 1-1 draw by Black Rhinos, Chapungu who were beaten 1-0 by ZPC Kariba and Buffaloes who went down to How Mine.
Bantu Rovers slipped into the murky waters after their 1-4 defeat to Harare City at Gwanzura yesterday.

Meanwhile, our Harare Correspondent reports that Harare City beat Bantu Rovers 4-1 in a Castle Lager Premiership match played at Rufaro Stadium yesterday.

The result left Bigboy Mawiwi convinced that his side has fully recovered from a poor start.
The Sunshine Boys, who lost six straight matches at the beginning of the season, now have 10 points and have moved two places up the log into 13th place.

Harare City scored through Agrippa Murimba in the13th and 57th minutes, Phineas Bamusi in the 80th minute and substitute Crybert Muvuti in the 90th  minute.

The Bulawayo side had equalised in the 54th minute through a header by Bukhosi Sibanda.