IT LOOKS like Thulani Sibanda has the Midas Touch after all. After returning from Bantu Rovers, Sibanda guided Bulawayo Chiefs to a win over Ajax Hotspurs at White City Stadium to open a four-point lead over Black Boots after the police side was held to a 1-1 draw by New West in Fairbridge in the Southern Region division one league.
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Sibanda was recalled to Chiefs, who reassigned former Warriors gaffer Rahman Gumbo, the club’s technical advisor to the team’s academy after he had lost five matches and the championship appeared to be slipping away.
Last week, Chiefs under Sibanda, dismissed Zimbabwe Saints 2-0 in Plumtree in his first match since his return.
Chiefs are now on 59 points with three matches remaining while Black Boots follow on 55 with Rovers also slackening on Saturday after they played a 1-1 draw with Tsholotsho FC at Barbourfields Stadium and are now on 49 points.
Sibanda now needs to make sure he wins all his three remaining matches against Rovers and Hwange Juniors in Plumtree and Mkosana in Victoria Falls.
Black Boots have three tricky last assignments with an away tie to Ntabazinduna Prison fighting relegation before they host Mpumalanga and then travel for ZPC Hwange.
The police side now hopes Chiefs falters in the last stretch while they win all their remaining matched. Tshintsha Guluva’s chances of returning to the Premier Soccer League are now slim as they can only have 61 points if they win their last three games, with Chiefs needing just three points to surpass that mark.
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The Methembe Ndlovu-owned Bantu Rovers will have to beat Chiefs in Plumtree in their next assignment and also hope that they win the remaining two matches against Rufaro Rovers and New West City — if Chiefs and Back Boots lose all their matches — for them to gain promotion.
Rufaro Rovers look set to be returning to Division Two after they failed to travel to Bulawayo on Saturday for a date with Zimbabwe Saints.
