At this exact juncture last season, MWOS were cruising comfortably at the top of the log standings.
It was a dizzying debut in the topflight league, fueled by a brand of football that had the Norton supporters believing a historic championship was well within reach, before a late-season collapse ultimately handed the crown to Scottland.
The mandate for this campaign was clear; learn from those errors, kick on, and go one step further.
Instead, Lloyd Mutasa’s men have drifted in the wrong direction.
As the campaign reaches the halfway stage with this week's midweek fixtures, the reality in Norton is stark.
MWOS currently sit ninth on the standings with 22 points, trailing leaders Hardrock by nine points after 16 rounds of matches.
Mutasa concede his side has fared well below expectations, imploring his players to rediscover the fortitude that saw them finish as runners-up last year with an impressive 62-point tally.
"I have always said as a coach you want to do better than the previous season, but at times there are things that you don't have control over," Mutasa reflected. "But as a coach, and as a player, we always want to try and push ourselves to do better than yesterday. And doing better than yesterday means ammasing more than 62 points. We are on 22 points, that means we then have to try and look for a plus 41 points under the remaining games so that we get past the last season mark."
- Pushy MWOS FC beefs up bench
- Scottland unveil new kit ahead of promotion battle
- Soccer fans cry foul as teams hike gate charges
- NRSL moves to stem violence
Keep Reading
The Achilles' heel for MWOS this term has been a crippling lack of consistency.
In their last five outings, they have tasted victory just once.
To fully illustrate their stagnation, the team is yet to string together three consecutive wins this season.
A brief flourish in April—back-to-back victories over Agama and Simba Bhora, followed by a draw against FC Platinum—remains their most fruitful run of form this year.
Yet, Mutasa is not without mitigating factors, chief among them the brutal reality of modern football’s food chain.
Following their scintillating performances last year, MWOS became victims of their own success.
Rival clubs swiftly dismantled the spine of Mutasa's squad.
Soccer Star of the Year finalist Abubakar Moffat was lured to Scottland, while Hardrock poached Warriors goalkeeper Martin Mapisa and the dynamic attacker Nigel Matinha.
Compounding the disruption of losing three talismanic figures, the medical room at Ngoni Stadium has been heavily congested.
"Not happy much in terms of the results, but happy in terms of the personnel that I'm working with," Mutasa insisted. "The majority of the key players have been playing with injuries and some missing, but their absence could not really be seen by virtue that some of the youngsters who were coming in stepped in well and did well. If we can have a clean bill of health, I'm sure we will be able to come right."
Added to the personnel crisis is a growing sense of grievance over officiating. Last week’s 1-0 defeat away to Ngezi Platinum Stars left a particularly bitter taste.
Match referee Thabani Ruzario had awarded MWOS a free-kick after Clive Kwangwari was fouled inside the centre circle.
However, after play was paused to allow the stricken player treatment, Ruzario inexplicably restarted the match with a drop-ball in favour of Ngezi.
Seizing the unexpected initiative, the hosts launched a swift, opportunistic counter-attack from which Farai Madhanhanga scored the game's solitary goal.
True to his stoic reputation, Mutasa diplomatically refused to lambast the match officials at the final whistle, merely reiterating that he prefers not to comment "on things I don't have control over."
The focus must now shift to the present.
MWOS will look to bounce back this afternoon when they play host to Manica Diamonds at Ngoni Stadium, concluding their first-round fixtures.
A victory today is of paramount importance not just for morale, but to serve as a launchpad for an aggressive second-half resurrection.
To surpass last season's benchmark, Mutasa's men require at least 13 wins from their remaining games—a daunting task, but one that begins with a single step on home turf today.
Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matchday seventeen results and fixtures
Yesterday: Bulawayo Chiefs 1-1 TelOne.
Today: Zpc Kariba v Herentals (Nyamhunga), MWOS v Manica Diamonds (Ngoni), Fc Platinum v Hardrock (Mandava), Chicken Inn v Caps United (Barbourfields), Simba Bhora v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Wadzanayi), Dynamos v Fc Hunters (Rufaro).
Tomorrow: Scottland v Triangle (Rufaro), Highlanders v Agama (Barbourfields).
