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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
FC Platinum can retain the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title with three matches to spare should they win their game against Chicken Inn at Mandava Stadium tomorrow and Ngezi Platinum Stars lose to Harare City.

The champions lead the pack with 68 points, seven ahead of second-placed Ngezi, who are hard-pressed for victory to prolong FC Platinum’s crowning.

Ngezi allowed FC Platinum to stretch their lead to seven points after being held 0-0 by visiting Chapungu on Saturday. FC Platinum marched closer to the title with a 1-0 victory away at Nichrut.

Should FC Platinum win against a bruised Chicken Inn, who suffered a shock 0-1 home defeat to giant killers Bulawayo Chiefs, they will take their points’ tally to 71, and in the event that Ngezi lose to top-four chasing Harare City, the defending champions will have an unassailable lead.

Chicken Inn coach, Joey Antipas, who was visibly furious after his side’s shock defeat to Chiefs wants his charges to end the season strongly, setting a tone for an intriguing encounter at Mandava Stadium.

“Maybe the long lay-off had an effect on our performance, but I wouldn’t want to believe that because everyone was affected by the break. We didn’t impose ourselves fully. Going into the last games, I want us to finish the season strongly,” said Antipas.

Chicken Inn are likely to ring changes going to Mandava.

They hardly created meaningful scoring opportunities against a Chiefs’ side that defended as a team and plugged possible holes that Chicken Inn could have used to penetrate.

Young Chicken Inn striker, Obriel Chirinda, who was stretchered off should be able to pass a late fitness test and could be thrown into the fray to partner one of the veterans, between Obidiah Tarumbwa or Darryl Nyandoro.

The platinum miners are hard to beat at home and have good defenders in the Moyo twins, Kevin and Elvis, Gift Bello, Lawrence Mhlanga and Raphael Muduviwa, who are good at defending as well as adding numbers when attacking.

It is reigning Soccer Star of the Year Rodwell Chinyengetere that Chicken Inn should keep a close eye on as well as veteran striker, Mkhokheli Dube, who are capable of causing damage to the Gamecocks’ defenders.

Ngezi, who fired coach Tonderai Ndiraya before their 0-0 draw with Chapungu, will have to be at their best to stop Harare City, who beat Shabanie Mine 1-0 to condemn the Zvishavane side to Division One football next season.

Apart from the championship matches, some of the mid-week games that will be closely followed are those involving relegation threatened sides.

Dynamos will want to steer clear of relegation and post their third consecutive victory when they face Herentals on Thursday.

At Luveve Stadium, Chiefs welcome relegated Shabanie Mine, who are only playing for pride.

Highlanders, bruised from a shock 1-2 loss to Bulawayo City, visit Chapungu at Ascot on Thursday. Chapungu are two points above relegation and have a tendency of giving Bosso a hard time.

Matchday 30 Results

Saturday: ZPC Kariba 1-0 Caps United, Ngezi Platinum Stars 0-0 Chapungu, Nichrut 0-1 Platinum, Chicken Inn 0-1 Bulawayo Chiefs

Sunday: Mutare City Rovers 0-2 Yadah, Dynamos 2-1 Black Rhinos, Triangle United 0-1 Herentals, Highlanders 1-2 Bulawayo City, Shabanie Mine 0-1 Harare City

Matchday 31 Fixtures
Tomorrow: Harare City v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Rufaro), FC Platinum v Chicken Inn (Mandava), Bulawayo Chiefs v Shabanie Mine (Luveve), Caps United v Yadah (National Sports Stadium), Triangle United v Mutare City Rovers (Gibbo)
Thursday: Herentals v Dynamos (Rufaro), Black Rhinos v Nichrut (National Sports Stadium), Chapungu v Highlanders (Ascot), Bulawayo City v ZPC Kariba (Barbourfields)

Table
P W D L F A GD Pts
FC Platinum 30 21 5 4 48 14 34 68

Ngezi Platinum 30 19 4 7 46 20 26 61

Chicken Inn 30 15 9 6 40 22 18 54

Triangle United 30 15 3 12 37 30 7 48

Harare City 30 10 15 5 25 21 4 45

Caps United 30 11 11 8 31 24 7 44

Highlanders 30 12 8 10 29 23 6 44

Herentals 30 11 11 8 22 22 0 44

Black Rhinos 30 10 11 9 34 28 6 41

**ZPC Kariba 30 11 11 8 25 24 1 41

Dynamos 30 9 10 11 24 32 -8 37

Bulawayo Chiefs 30 8 11 11 25 30 -5 35

Yadah FC 30 8 11 11 30 38 -8 35

Chapungu 30 8 10 12 23 32 -9 34

Nichrut 30 8 8 14 27 33 -6 32

Bulawayo City 30 6 4 20 25 41 -16 22

Mutare City 30 5 7 18 22 48 -26 22

Shabanie Mine 30 2 13 15 24 53 -29 19

**Three points deducted for use of a suspended player — @ZililoR