FC Platinum enjoy top spot

By Ricky Zililo

Castle Lager Premier Soccer League champions, FC Platinum, go into the two-week “solidarity” break sitting at the top of the log, thanks to faltering title contenders, Chicken Inn and Caps United.

Once again, competition in the topflight proved to be a “league of contradictions” with title contenders dropping points to opponents that they had been heavily tipped to roll over.

Chicken Inn went into the weekend at the top of the table and were held to a goalless draw by Triangle United, while Caps United surrendered a 2-1 lead to share the spoils 3-3 with TelOne and slide into third place from second.

FC Platinum lead the table with 24 points after 12 games, with Chicken Inn and Caps United tied on 23 points.

The platinum miners beat log anchors Bulawayo Chiefs 3-0 in a match whose score line wasn’t a true reflection of the game, as Chiefs dominated the encounter, but blunders by usually reliable goalkeeper, David Bizabani gifted FC Platinum maximum points.

Bizabani made two schoolboy blunders that saw FC Platinum taking a 2-0 lead within a space of three minutes after the start of the second stanza. The Chiefs’ goalkeeper moved off his line as he charged outside the goal area to clear an aerial ball that seemed harmless, but he missed the ball, leaving the advancing Albert Eonde to slot the ball into an empty net in the 46th minute.

Two minutes later Bizabani fumbled a back pass and Eonde again slotted into an empty.

Substitute Never Tigere hit the final nail in the Chiefs’ coffin when his sleek free kick nestled into the top right corner of the net.

Harare City, who beat Chicken Inn 2-1 in Bulawayo last weekend, were shocked by a similar score line by students Herentals. City had managed to navigate through a tight game against Chicken Inn only to lose what was billed a relatively easy encounter.

Herentals proved that their 3-1 win over Caps United wasn’t a fluke.

Yadah also managed back-to-back wins, following up on their 1-0 win over Bosso with a 2-1 triumph over Chapungu at Mandava Stadium.

Highlanders moved two points above the relegation zone following their “big” 1-0 win against perennial rivals, Dynamos.

TelOne’s 3-3 draw against Caps United saw them dropping into the relegation waters, taking up the last relegation slot, tied on 12 points with 16th placed Yadah.

Hwange put a five-match losing streak to a halt by drawing 0-0 against Mushowani Stars in Harare. Mushowani are second from the bottom of the table and appear to be finding the going tough in the topflight, while Hwange are just a place above the red zone.

The coalminers have been on a free-fall, something that they need to arrest if they are to escape the red zone.

Hwange have gone for seven games without a win, managing two points out of a possible 21 during the dry spell. They drew two games and lost five consecutive matches.

Table

P W D L F A GD Pts

FC Platinum 12 7 3 2 15 5 10 24

Chicken Inn 12 7 2 3 19 7 12 23

Caps United 12 7 2 3 23 15 8 23

Black Rhinos 12 6 4 2 14 10 4 22

Chapungu 12 5 4 3 15 11 4 19

ZPC Kariba 12 5 3 4 8 10 -2 18

M/Diamonds 12 4 5 3 12 10 2 17

Ngezi Platinum 12 4 5 3 10 9 1 17

Harare City 12 5 1 6 15 15 0 16

Herentals 12 3 6 3 9 8 1 15

Triangle United 12 4 3 5 14 15 -1 15

Dynamos 12 4 3 5 7 9 -2 15

Highlanders 12 3 5 4 6 9 -3 14

Hwange 12 4 2 6 9 15 -6 14

TelOne 12 2 6 4 8 11 -3 12

Yadah 12 3 3 6 9 16 -7 12

Mushowani 12 2 3 7 12 17 -5 9

Bulawayo Chiefs 12 2 2 8 10 23 -13 8. The Chronicle