THE Castle Lager Premier Soccer League is drawing to a close, with just six games left.
HENRY MHARA SPORTS REPORTER
The title race is ever so tight with every single match between now and Week 30 very crucial for the leading teams.
Dynamos currently hold the aces, but ZPC Kariba are breathing down their neck.
Caps United are keeping the two in check, while Highlanders, though hobbling in recent weeks, are still within striking distance.
With all the talk on who will win the league title at the end of the season, there is a rather interesting battle for finishing in the top four taking place.
The reward for finishing inside the top four bracket is participation in the Mbada Diamonds Cup, whose revised format for this season would see only top four finishers competing in the annual tournament.
With the leading two teams Dynamos and ZPC Kariba almost assured of a place at the high table, the chief protagonists for the remaining two slots are third-placed Caps United and Highlanders, who are a rung below.
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Hwange, FC Platinum, Chicken Inn and possibly Harare City have almost given up on the title chase, but there is no doubt they still fancy their chances of playing in the Mbada Diamonds Cup.
But it is Caps United and Highlanders who have an advantage of joining Dynamos and ZPC Kariba.
The two teams meet at the National Sports Stadium tomorrow in the stand-out match of the weekend league fixture programme.
The reverse fixture was won by Highlanders, who humiliated their adversaries 4-0.
Caretaker coach Mark Mathe, who was deputy to departed Kelvin Kaindu, masterminded that win as the latter had gone for a coaching course in Europe.
Kaindu has since left Bosso, a departure necessitated by two successive league defeats at the hands of Harare City and ZPC Kariba, leaving Mathe in charge, at least for now.
Ahead of the big match, Caps United captain Tapiwa Khumbuyani has said his team will want to avenge the first round humiliating defeat.
“We have been preparing well and hard because we know the significance of the match. It’s a big match for the two sides,” Khumbuyani said.
“It’s important in the sense that if we win, we will be six points away from them, but if we lose the match ,we will be tied on points and they will be on position three because of a better goal difference.
“We don’t want to put ourselves in a tight position where we will try to win all our last matches to get the fourth position. These are the games we have to win and ease the pressure,” he said.
“We lost the first leg in Bulawayo and to be honest, it was a very painful defeat. So we want to reverse the result this time around. It’s a big match, but we will not be putting ourselves under pressure. We are taking it like any other match.
“We are not looking at their problems. What is happening in their home does not concern us. We are approaching them as if nothing is happening to them.” Caps United’s Ronald Pfumbidzai had a slight knee problem, but trained with the rest of the squad this week and should be available for selection. Mathe is anticipating a tough match against Caps.
“It’s not going to be easy against Caps and we should forget about the 4-0 win. This is the second half of the season and Caps have been playing well home and away with everyone aiming to collect maximum points,” Mathe said.
Just like Caps United, Mathe believes his team still has a good chance of clinching the title despite having what appears to be a tough run in.
After Caps, Bosso are still to play Chicken Inn, Hwange, Chiredzi and Shabanie Mine before concluding their season with a home match against Chapungu.
“It will be dangerous to look at how other teams play as we are likely to lose focus. We just have to work hard at collecting maximum points. We don’t have control over games that are not ours. Dynamos, ZPC Kariba, Caps United, Hwange, Platinum and Chicken Inn have a chance, but we are still in the running,” Mathe added.
For Caps, they will still have to face Triangle, FC Platinum, Buffaloes, Harare City and ZPC Kariba.
“No one can say they have better fixtures left because we have reached a stage in the season where teams and results can be very unpredictable. We still have a very good chance of winning the title. The only problem is that we don’t have much control of our destiny. But there are still six games to play and we still remain hopeful,” Khumbuyani, the Caps United skipper, said.
Bosso, now being captained by goalkeeper Arial Sibanda, travel to Harare without striker Njabulo Ncube, Kudzanai Machazane and Webster Chingodza, who are all nursing injuries.
