The ManicaPost
Senior Sports Reporter
ITS now only five matches before the curtain comes down on the 2016 Castle Lager Premiership season and Mutare City Rovers are skirting on thin ice, knowing fully well that the team might find itself playing second tier league football next season.
In fact, Mutare stands a good chance of witnessing the first ever real Premiership derby next season, while a season without a single resident top-flight league club next year is also a possibility as Mutare City Rovers and First Division side, Buffaloes fight long and hard for a 2017 Premiership season berth.
And even though the Castle Lager Premiership takes a break this weekend to pave way for the Chibuku Super Cup knockout tournament, Mutare City Rovers coach, Taku Shariwa will probably have more mental work as he faces the last five fixtures of an eventful 2016 PSL season.
Just like Buffaloes before them, Mutare City Rovers find themselves fighting against Tsholotsho for a place on the list of teams that will partake in the 2017 Premiership season.
In their remaining matches, Mutare City Rovers will travel to Bulawayo to face inconsistent How Mine before they engage basement outfit Border Strikers at home.
The municipality-owned outfit will then entertain Dynamos away at Rufaro Stadium in Harare before clashing with fellow municipality side, Harare City at Sakubva Stadium.
Their last encounter of the season will be against Ngezi Platinum Stars away in Mhondoro.
On the other hand, Tsholotsho have a date against Ngezi Platinum Stars away at Baobab Stadium in Mhondoro before they host Chapungu and then play against fellow Bulawayo outfit Highlanders.
In their last two matches of the season, Tsholotsho face Bulawayo City and FC Platinum.
On paper, it is Tsholotsho who could be facing a more challenging task given the fact they the Bulawayo side will come up against two championship chasing teams, while Mutare City Rovers will face mid table teams who have almost nothing, but pride to play for.
Thus Shariwa believes his team will certainly survive relegation.
“I think we stand a good chance to survive relegation. A look at the remaining fixtures gives the impression that we have an easier task compared to our counterparts, Tsholotsho.
“They will face two teams that are in the race for the title and that gives them more pressure than us. However, that does not mean we have to rest on our laurels. We have to work extra hard to achieve what we want. One thing that is obvious is that even though we are going to play teams that are in the middle of the table, they will not give us victories on a silver platter,” said the youthful Mutare City Rovers gaffer.
The former Hippo Valley and Hartley Academy coach, said his team need to make sure that that they get at least a point against How Mine in their next league encounter.
“Our next match is against How Mine and that is one match that I think we need to make a bold statement about our intentions to survive.
“We just have to get at least a point, but my wish is to get all the three points against How Mine. That will certainly boost our confidence as we get into the last four matches,” he said.
Be that as it may, if Mutare City Rovers finally loses out in the fight for survival, the team will certainly look back and regret the monumental boob that resulted in them having three points docked from their tally after using a suspended player.
Even though it could be water under the bridge, simple mathematics show that Mutare City Rovers no longer have the luxury of losing a single match, while Thsolotsho wins as it would automatically result in the two teams exchanging slots on the table.
Two teams will be relegated at the end of the season and will be replaced by the two teams that emerge victorious at the second their league playoffs.
The remaining five fixtures:
Match Day 26: How Mine FC v Mutare City Rovers; Platinum Ngezi Platinum Stars FC v Tsholotsho:
Match Day 27: Tsholotsho FC v Chapungu FC; Mutare City Rovers FC v Border Strikers FC
Match Day 28: Dynamos FC v Mutare City Rovers FC; Highlanders FC v Tsholotsho FC:
Match Day 29: Tsholotsho FC v Bulawayo City FC; Mutare City Rovers FC v Harare City FC:
Match Day 30: Tsholotsho FC v FC Platinum; Ngezi Platinum Stars FC v Mutare City Rovers FC.
