THE Zifa Southern Region Division One League nears its climax this weekend as the race for the sole ticket for promotion to the Premier Soccer League (PSL) looks spread across four clubs, log leaders Bulawayo Chiefs, Black Boots, Bantu Rovers and New West City.
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With 21 points still possible for the four top clubs, they all have tricky assignments tomorrow and there is no chance for slackening in the remaining matches.
Chiefs have amassed 50 points in 23 matches and if all they win the remaining matches, the Rahman Gumbo-coached outfit will likely add to the Southern Region’s clubs tally gracing the top-flight league next season.
Winning the remaining matches will take them to an unassailable 71 points.
They will be home to Technosphere who beat fallen pretenders to the title Tsholotsho FC 1-0 last week.
Technosphere have put up a formidable performance in their debut season in the Division One league and are sitting pretty on position five with 37 points.
Second-placed Black Boots are five points behind Chiefs and looking forward to closing the gap, but their game has changed of late and last week they were held to a 1-1 draw at home in Fairbridge by former PSL side Quelaton.
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Winning the last seven games will put them on 66 points and they are yet to meet with Chiefs in the reverse fixture.
Tomorrow they will be away to the Lizwe Sweswe-coached Tsholotsho, definitely in a mood to up their game after dropping to position six with 36 points.
It is Bantu Rovers who have put up serious face to the contention and have risen steadily on the ladder and now perch on the third spot, eight points behind Chiefs. Beating unpredictable Mpumalanga in Hwange tomorrow will definitely keep them in the running for a return to the PSL.
Bantu Rovers are looking at ending the season with 63 points and if Chiefs and Black Boots surpass that, then they will wait for the following season.
New West, on 40 points, will have to use home advantage to beat Hwange Under-20 at the Portuguese Club to make their presence felt at the apex of the log standings and they have a possibility of 61 points, to the home stretch.
In other matches to be played tomorrow, Quelaton will be home to Zimbabwe Saints, whose players have reportedly not been training for the past week in protest over unpaid dues while ZPC Hwange, who face the the same predicament as Chikwata, will be home to struggling Ajax Hotspurs.
Last week, ZPC failed to travel to Bulawayo for their match against Zimbabwe Saints. Ntabazinduna Prison host Mkosana while basement side Rufaro Rovers take on Bulawayo Jumbos.
