BANTU Rovers will officially bid farewell to the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League with six matches before the end of the season if they lose their next league game away to Harare City at Rufaro Stadium at the weekend.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
If Bantu lose at the weekend, the highest points tally they can achieve is 31, the total that Harare City, who occupy the last safe spot, already have going into the nex round of fixtures.
Shabanie Mine are on position 15 with 30 points, while Hwange, on 26 points and Tsholotsho on 20, are also in the relegation zone. After suffering their 23rd defeat of the season at home to Shabanie Mine, coach Methembe Ndlovu said they would get what they deserve.
“I said at the beginning of the year that we will finish where we belong. We are not really thinking about where we are going to end. We are taking each game as it comes and managing the games as they are and not thinking too far ahead,” he said.
“I think the main thing is to try and improve week in week out and I think there are some positives to take away from each game that we play. We will take the next games as they come and not worry about the big picture.”
After Harare City, Bantu Rovers play their last six games against ZPC Kariba, Tsholotsho, Ngezi Platinum, Chapungu, Dynamos and Bulawayo City.
Harare City, Yadah FC and Bulawayo City (32 points) and Chapungu on 33 points are not safe, while Triangle and Black Rhinos (36 points), Highlanders and ZPC Kariba on 37 points and 39 points respectively could still be dragged into the dogfight.
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Bantu Rovers, who ventured into the 2017 league programme featuring a youthful side with an average age of 20, have only won three league matches in 27 outings against Yadah, Triangle and Black Rhinos.
They are one of the few clubs that managed to sell players outside the country this year, with former captain Bukhosi Sibanda and Obriel Chirinda joining South African National First Division side Ubuntu Cape Town in mid-season.
At the time of his departure, Sibanda was the leading the scorers’ chart with 10 goals.
They only have Tapiwa Kumbuyani, Dumisani Ndlovu, Lindelani Ncube, Jileni Nsingo, Master Mlangeni and goalkeeper Wellington Muuya over the age of 30, with teenagers most of the players making up their squad.
