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NewsDay

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PSL at the halfway mark: Chicken Inn still lead

Sport
THE Castle Lager Premier Soccer League hit the halfway mark at the weekend with Chicken Inn topping the log table while Triangle, How Mine and reigning champions Dynamos are in hot pursuit.

THE Castle Lager Premier Soccer League hit the halfway mark at the weekend with Chicken Inn topping the log table while Triangle, How Mine and reigning champions Dynamos are in hot pursuit.

BY HENRY MHARA

It appears the above-mentioned teams will be involved in a four-horse race for the title while Caps United’s resurgence, based on their 2-0 win over the log leaders on Sunday at the National Sports Stadium, offers an enticing glimpse of what to expect in the second round of the season.

At the other end of the table, the four promoted teams all look doomed while Hwange, Buffaloes and Sunday Chidzambwa’s ZPC Kariba have a lot to do to stay in the top flight next season.

Chicken Inn leads the way with 29 points — make that 32 if they are, as hugely expected, given their disputed match against Dongo — from nine wins, two draws and three losses so far this season.

Joey Antipas’ side has scored 20 goals this far, fourth highest in the league, but it is their watertight defence that has seen them keeping the top position.

Before the 2-0 loss at the weekend, the Chicken Inn defence had conceded the lowest number of goals in the league with eight. Their impressive run in the first half of the season saw them beating giants such as Dynamos, Highlanders, FC Platinum and How Mine, but the recent defeat to Caps United have shown that improvements are still needed in the team if they are to wrestle the title away to Bulawayo.

Triangle had a blistering start to the season, and won four of their first five matches, scoring a staggering 14 goals in the process.

However, they could not sustain that form and had mixed results since Week 6. Consecutive losses to FC Platinum and How Mine on Week 10 and 11 briefly threatened their season, but Kelvin Kaindu’s boys have recovered with two wins and a draw in their last three matches for a total 28 points.

Reigning champions Dynamos had comparatively a quick start to the season. Their decision not to compete in Africa appeared a good decision with four wins in their first five matches, but that was followed by a barren period of three games including consecutive losses to Chicken Inn and Whawha.

But while they recovered from that with successive wins against FC Platinum and How Mine, they have drawn four of their last five matches. They are right where they were at this point last season, at 27 points.

How Mine was arguably the busiest in the last transfer window, and as expected, had a very slow start as the new players and coach Luke Masomere were still trying to find their feet. They recorded nine points from their opening six, but gradually improved after that.

Their last five games have seen three wins and two draws. This run has led them to the fourth spot in the league, an improvement of four points compared to last year.

Caps United have been blowing hot and cold, thanks to the financial problems that they were facing. With the coming in of Harare businessman Farai Jere to the club, things seems to have settled and it’s beginning to reflect in the way the team has been performing recently.

They are undefeated in the last five matches which have seen them rising to fifth position and just four points off the log leaders.

Chapungu, at sixth position with 23 points have exceeded expectations, but it is the duo of FC Platinum and Harare City, tied on 22 points, who have been rather disappointing.

It might be too early to pass a verdict on them as there are still 15 rounds of matches to play, but the two are the best resourced teams in the country and, therefore, should be up there fighting for the title at every point of the race.

As for Highlanders, they finished last season poorly after forcing Kaindu out of the club and it appears that poor form is continuing this term.

Bongani Mafu is yet to justify himself, with his club on ninth position and are technically 12 points behind log leaders and city rivals Chicken Inn. Since their wins over Tsholotsho and Hwange in Week 2 and 3, they have not managed to record back-to-back wins. Their home record has been appalling with just two wins at Barbourfields this season.

While the league is still looking heavily congested, all the newly promoted sides are in trouble. The four — Tsholotsho, Flame Lily, WhaWha and Dongo Sawmills — are occupying the relegation spots and it doesn’t look like that will change up until the end of the season. The three share a combined 10 wins in 15 matches, hardly league material.