Unpredictability reigns supreme Ngezi Platinum may be on top of the table but not in control yet

Innocent Kurira
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IN the midst of the electrifying Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season, Ngezi Platinum finds themselves perched at the top of the table.

However, their coach, Takesure Chiragwi, isn’t exactly doing cartwheels of joy. With a league as unpredictable as this one, who can blame him?

As the fixtures rolled by, the league has thrown curveballs left and right, keeping fans and coaches on the edge of their seats.

Kudzai Chigwida in action for Ngezi Platinum Stars

Even at the bottom end of the spectrum, Saul Chaminuka, coach of struggling Black Rhinos, bravely maintains hope for his team’s survival in the face of relegation.

Surprisingly, the differences between teams seem minuscule, with Chiragwi himself acknowledging that the top spot could easily change hands after week 13.

“There is no vibe in the dressing room about us being top of the table. This is a competitive league and every week positions are changing. We are leading maybe just for this week. The most important thing for us is to win our matches,” said Chiragwi.

At the bottom of the table, veteran coach Chaminuka is hopeful they will survive the chop given how tight the standings are.

“I think football being football is not the same. The game is no longer the same as back in the day. I cannot say the game has changed negatively but teams are becoming more defensive. Back in the day teams would have been winning games and scoring goals but that is not the case. As coach I am adjusting to the new,” said Chaminuka.

Chaminuka replaced Stanford ‘Stix’ Mutizwa who was sacked last week after a poor start to the season before being reassigned as the team’s technical advisor following the club’s realignment of its technical department.

Black Rhinos have six points, five behind Sheasham who occupy the last relegation slot. Two victories can get Rhinos out of the relegation zone.

Ngezi Platinum sits top of the table with 23 points after 12 games. The points difference between his side and Caps United in eighth place stands at six points. Highlanders in second place have 22 points.

They won the derby against Bulawayo Chiefs at the weekend to end a string of draws. Bosso remain unbeaten this season, the only team to achieve that feat.  Last season, Highlanders had 14 points from 12 games.

Bosso had managed three wins, five draws and four defeats, conceding 10 goals which included the three that were handed to FC Platinum on a 3-0 score-line for the abandoned league match played at Mandava Stadium.

Highlanders had scored 12 goals, averaging a goal per match. This season, they’ve scored nine goals and conceded just three in the process.

Highlanders players celebrating against Bulawayo Chiefs

Chicken Inn and FC Platinum are third and fourth respectively both with 21 points.

Fc Platinum, the four-time champions appear to have reinvented themselves after a rather slow start to the season. They beat ZPC Kariba and Black Rhinos in their last two matches and won one nil against Green Fuel at the weekend.

Manica Diamonds is fifth with
19 points while Dynamos are sixth with 18 points.
— @innocentskzioe

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