The ManicaPost
Ray Bande senior Reporter
FOOTBALL teams and players outplay each other in smashing records of matches won and goals scored but Mutare City Rovers are now a subject of scorn and ridicule after becoming the first team to lose by a 7-0 margin in years of Castle Lager Premiership seasons.
Even though documentation of statistics and record in domestic leagues is very poor, it has been long since a top flight league team was beaten 7-0 and the closet in recent years could be the heavy 7-2 defeat suffered by Yadah Stars at the hands of Bantu Rovers last season. Army side Black Rhinos put seven past struggling Mutare City without reply in a league encounter at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
Tafadzwa Jaravani opened the scoring in the 12th minute before Wellington Taderera (41?) and Allen Gahadzikwa (45?) stretched the lead before the half time.
Gahadzikwa completed his brace on the hour to make it 4-0 while Lot Chiunga (65?), Masimba Mambare (67?) and Macdonald Makuwe (71?) also managed to put their names on the scoresheet as Chauya Chipembere recorded the biggest win by any team in any competition in the league this season. Just a week prior to the defeat at the hands of Black Rhinos, Mutare City Rovers were on the receiving end by a similar scoreline when they were hummered 6-0 by FC Platinum away at Mandava Stadium in yet another heavy defeat for Gusha Bhora.
Apart from the humiliation of suffering heavy defeats, Mutare City Rovers might look back and blame themselves for losing by such wide margins if the relegation dogfight eventually gets decided by goal difference.
Even coach Ndega Matsika concedes that losing by such wide margins is not healthy in their fight against relegation as well as for the Mutare City Rovers’ brand.
He said his team’s away record is now worrisome.
“We need to work hard and forget about this heavy defeat so that we focus on ZPC Kariba at home next weekend. I am now worried about our away performance because we seem to be doing well at home only to crumble when we play away from home. “Losing by such wide margins is not healthy in our fight against relegation as well as for the Mutare City Rovers’ brand. It is not good at all and we hope we will make amends as we get into the last seven matches of the season,” said Matsika.
The former Buffaloes and Black Rhinos goalkeeper said there is still a lot at stake and they will not read too much into the heavy defeats.
“We have four home matches and three away matches which translate to about 21 points to play for. Therefore, it is still game on. We are still very much in it. In fact, I am confident that we will survive relegation at the end of the season,” he said.
Mutare City Rovers are currently lying third from bottom and the team above them Nichrut have three points that might be deducted from them after they used a suspended player.
Nichrut fielded defender Themba Ndlovu in their match against Mutare City Rovers at Vengere Stadium when the former Motor Action and Dynamos centre back was supposed to be serving suspension after amassing three yellow cards.
Premier Soccer League spokesperson Kudzai Bare confirmed that Nichrut were summoned to appear before a Premiership disciplinary hearing. “Nichrut will be brought before the PSL Disciplinary Committee following the use of an ineligible player. We will communicate the date once they are summoned, however we have notified them that they will be brought before the PSL Disciplinary Committee,” she said.
The deduction of three points from Nichrut tally, if it comes to fruition, might come in handy for Mutare City Rovers’ fight for survival but a lot more would still need to be done given that four teams will get relegated at the end of the season.
