The ManicaPost
Ray Bande Senior Sports Reporter
MUTARE City Rovers will have none, but themselves to blame if they fail to gain promotion into the Castle Lager Premiership after the municipality outfit opened a four-point gap at the summit of the Eastern Region Division One league with three matches remaining before the curtain comes down on the 2017 season. The Kenny Kachara-coached Mutare City Rovers engage Mukanya Bullets on Saturday (tomorrow) at Sakubva Stadium before they face Buffaloes in the penultimate round of league matches at the same venue next weekend.
They wrap up the 2017 Eastern Region Division One league season with a date against Prime Rangers away at Ruwa. Mathematically, Mutare City Rovers only need to win the next two assignments and secure a place in the top-flight league next season. In fact, Magusha, as Mutare City Rovers are fondly referred to, can be declared Eastern Region Division One 2017 champions if they win their match against Mukanya Bullets tomorrow and correctional services side Tenax loses their tricky assignment against Africa Trust away at the James Mwonzora Stadium in Watsomba tomorrow.
Thus Mutare City Rovers team manager, Lyndon Kanyemba, said it would only take the evil works of Satan for them not to gain promotion into the Premiership.
“I think we have done much of the work that we were expected to do. We are almost there. It would only take the evil works of Satan for us not to gain promotion into the Premiership. That is not to say we should not work hard in the remaining three rounds of league matches. We just have to remain consistent until the last match. Like I have said before, we do not want to look at how other teams play, but concentrate on our matches.
“As it stands, we only need to keep winning our matches and ensure that we achieve the goals that we set for ourselves. The good thing is that we now have unity of purpose as a team. We are playing as a unit from the executive to the technical team as well as the players and the supporters,” said Kanyemba.
No wonder Buffaloes team manager, Aaron Dzvete, conceded that Mutare City Rovers are clear favourites to win the championship.
“I think we are no longer part of this race. Yes, mathematically we are still in, but practically it will be difficult to see our competitors lose points at this stage while we continue winning. I think it is for Mutare City Rovers to lose,” Dzvwete told this newspapers’ audio version Diamond FM in a post match interview after his team’s 0-2 loss to Mucheke Pirates on Sunday.
Top three teams remaining matches:
