THE calculations are formidable and the mathematics unforgiving, yet Mandla Mpofu remains entirely unbowed.
Despite trailing the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League leaders by a daunting 10 points with just 16 games remaining, the Simba Bhora head coach refuses to concede that the championship race is run.
For the Shamva-based side, a recent sequence of maximum points has breathed life back into an otherwise fading campaign.
Back-to-back victories over Ngezi Platinum Stars and Manica Diamonds have arrested a damaging mid-season slump, lifting them to 27 points.
It is a deficit that would induce uncertainty in many coaches, but Mpofu is instead drawing inspiration from the history books—specifically from the very team they are chasing.
Defending champions and current log leaders Scottland pulled off a nearly identical heist last term.
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“Of course, there are 16 games left to play. Those are a lot,” Mpofu insisted when questioned on his side’s title credentials.
“It’s up to us to win our games and try to push as much as possible and hope the top teams will falter on the way.
“I guess if we can win most of our games, we still have a good chance.”
Mpofu’s optimism is rooted in the cyclical nature of the league.
“I was looking at 2025 log standings at the halfway stage,” he reflected.
“Simba Bhora were on top on 35 points, and Scottland was on 27. It was an eight-point gap, but they managed to work harder and win.
“I think we can do the same... yes, we can. But as I said, it's up to us, no one else. If we can work even harder, we can be a surprise package.”
It has been a frustratingly inconsistent campaign for the Shamva outfit.
A sluggish opening gave way to a mid-season crescendo, only for momentum to stall as the halfway mark approached.
Crucially, a debilitating injury crisis has hampered Mpofu’s campaign.
Captain Blessing Moyo has been a peripheral figure after sustaining an injury in the opening weeks, while Roland Kangadze has yet to feature at all this season, with reports suggesting his ailment requires surgery.
Furthermore, the Namibian duo of Dynamo Damaseb and Petrus Simaneka have seen their integration disrupted by recurring fitness issues.
Yet, despite these structural fractures, the objective at Simba Bhora remains unaltered from the opening day.
“We’re still a championship team. There’s no other way,” Mpofu declared with defiance.
“We can’t change our objectives and say we want to be top four. Never!
“We still want to play and win as many games as possible and see what will happen by the end of the season.”
With the mid-season transfer window opening on July 1, the temptation to panic-buy is obvious, but the Simba Bhora coach is preaching pragmatism over desperation.
“The thing that I don’t want to do is to compromise on quality,” he explained.
“If I get any quality player, I will bring in.
“If there’s no quality, we can’t waste a slot. We’ll still work with the personnel that I have.”
Finding transformative talent at this juncture, however, remains notoriously difficult.
“It’s not easy to get a quality player during the mid-season window, unless maybe you’re going to look outside the borders,” Mpofu admitted.
“But locally, it’s not easy because most players are tied up, they’re contracted. But if we can get a Messi or Ronaldo, why not?”
The immediate litmus test for Simba Bhora’s resurgence arrives on Saturday with a trip to Harare to face Hunters.
On paper, it represents a routine assignment against a promoted side hovering precariously just one place above the relegation zone.
Yet Mpofu is acutely aware of the perils of complacency against a side fighting for survival.
“They have shown signs of improvement lately, so it’s not an easy game,” he warned.
“But we need to make sure that we win it at all costs.”
Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Match Day 19 fixtures
Saturday: Bulawayo Chiefs v Agama (Luveve), TelOne v MWOS (Ascot), FC Hunters v Simba Bhora (Heart), Ngezi Platinum Stars v Scottland (Baobab), Herentals v Caps United (Rufaro)
Sunday: Hardrock v ZPC Kariba (Chahwanda), Manica Diamonds v FC Platinum (Sakubva), Triangle United v Chicken Inn (Gibbo), Highlanders v Dynamos (Barbourfields)