Two teams from a list of Black Rhinos, Shabanie Mine, Harare City, Buffaloes, Triangle and Chapungu will today join Chiredzi FC and Bantu Rovers into Division One.
BY MICHAEL MADYIRA
The relegation battle has become more intriguing than the championship race and the uncertainty of life among the six teams makes today an explosive Sunday.
Just three points separate Black Rhinos who are third from bottom and ninth-placed Chapungu who could interestingly end the season in the top eight if they beat Highlanders while How Mine falls away at Dynamos.
Drama has already characterised the run up to the final day, especially at Shabanie Mine where players refused to train all week demanding outstanding salaries and winning bonuses. Allegations of match-fixing have also emerged at Maglas in recent weeks.
Shabanie will be at Gibbo to face Triangle in the only match pitting relegation candidates today.
Triangle are two points better than Shabanie Mine as three rungs separate the two sides with Shabanie Mine sitting at the relegation cutoff point.
Shabanie coach Jairos Tapera seems to have lost survival hopes amid turmoil in his camp as players have threatened not to travel to Gibbo until their dues are settled.
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“We never trained and there is chaos everywhere,” said Tapera.
“The players never reported for training. I am not even sure if we will manage to fulfill this fixture. But we have to play. The strike is beyond my control. What can I do when players are saying their families are hungry? There is lack of trust between players and club chiefs. They are saying they have played so many games riding on fake promises. The situation is not pleasant at the moment but I just hope we will go and play.”
In stark contrast, it appears all is well in the Triangle camp. The arrival of Kelvin Kaindu at Triangle seems to have solidified the Lowveld side who have not lost their last four games in which they have recorded three wins and a draw.
In Mutare, Buffaloes are also fighting for dear life but their task might not seem hard as they host Hwange who have nothing pronounced to play for.
A win or defeat for Hwange will not have any impact on them but Buffaloes desperately need three points to stay safe. Buffaloes coach Moses Chunga has slammed some of his players for being “mentally injured.”
“Physically, all players are fit but the problem is I have in my team some players who are mentally injured,” said Chunga.
“I am thinking of fielding youngsters and I believe they cannot go wrong. There is nothing to fear and we are going for maximum points. Chances of us surviving are equal until the final whistle. The mood in Mutare is mixed. Most people are concerned and believe we will survive but some think we will fall.”
Elsewhere, Harare City host Chicken Inn and like Buffaloes, their opponents have nothing definite to play for.
The capital city club are just one place above the relegation zone with 35 points.
Chapungu are almost safe even if some teams behind them win as they have a better goal difference.
John Nyikadzino’s men visit Highlanders whom they drew with 0-0 at Ascot in the first match of the campaign.
“We know we will survive,” said Chapungu coach John Nyikadzino. “We will collect all the points. We respect Highlanders as a big team but no big club has completed back-to-back victories over us. We have problems with the so-called small teams but we are not having sleepless nights about Highlanders.”
