• Masvingo stop Monomotapa title march • Monomotapa shell Gunners, inch closer to title • CAPS United in ABC Cup final after win over Dynamos • Lengthens plunge Highlanders into crisis • Monomotapa 7 points clear as rivals stall • ABC Holdings unveils new PSL tournament • Monomotapa go 5 points clear • Sadomba double lifts Dynamos to second • CBZ unveils US$200,000 CBZ FA Cup • Highlanders sack Methembe Ndlovu • Monomotapa stretch lead to 6 points • H'landers fined $30 trillion over abandoned match • Chikwaikwai leads race for Golden Boot • Barbourfields stalemate propels Monomotapa • Monomotapa cement lead, Highlanders stay in hunt • Dynamos, H'landers close in on Monomotapa • Monomotapa go top as Dynamos flounder • PSL fines Njube Sundowns $1 trillion • CBZ unveils $4,5 trillion league sponsorship deal • 2008 Premier Soccer League Fixtures

By Nkanyiso Moyo

OLD habits die hard, and on Sunday, Monomotapa proved just that as they returned to their winning ways with a battling 1-0 win over Lancashire Steel to increase their lead at the top of the CBZ Premier Soccer League to nine points.

After seeing their 15-match unbeaten run halted by Chapungu last week, defeat to bottom-table Lancashire would have cast fresh doubts about Norman Mapeza’s men going all the way to clinch the title.

But win they did through Edmore Chitato’s strike on the half hour.

Njube Sundowns, crushed 3-0 by Motor Action, may be second on the table but Monomotapa know the real threat to their title ambitions remains champions Dynamos who have played four games less.

With a taxing Champions League schedule constraining Dynamos’ title defence, Monomotapa have made hay through a small window of sunshine. They are just nine games from sealing an unlikely league title.

If Dynamos win all their games in hand – including a visit to Highlanders and CAPS United at home – that will still leave them a point short of Monomotapa’s 44 points.

On Saturday, Sundowns’ championship dreams turned into a nightmare as they slumped to a 3-0 defeat to Motor Action. The defeat could be coach Lindile Dube’s last match in charge of big-spending Sundowns who had told him to win or get the axe.

Daniel Chakupe and Louis Matawu were on target in the first half and Livison Salous added the third, leaving Sundowns nine points adrift of Monomotapa.

At Ascot Stadium, Esau Amisi scored the only goal as Shooting Stars beat Chapungu. It was the airmen’s second home defeat in successive games.

In Harare, Gunners were left to rue a harshly awarded penalty against CAPS United as they drew 1-1.

Method Mwanjali converted from the spot, but Moses Chunga’s Gunners responded swiftly two minutes later with captain Zhaimu Jambo lashing in a fine effort through a crowded CAPS United box.

To add to Gunners’ woes, they were inexplicably denied a penalty late on when Ovidy Karuru was chopped from behind.

CAPS FC and Kiglon drew 1-1 while Lengthens and Underhill played a goalless draw.

CBZ Premier Soccer League:
Sunday:
Lancashire Steel 0-1 Monomotapa; Eastern Lions 1-0 Masvingo; Chapungu 0-1 Shooting Stars; CAPS United 1-1 Gunners

Saturday:
Africa Champions League:
Asec Mimosas (Ivory Coast) 1-2 Dynamos (Zimbabwe)

Africa Youth Championship:
Reunion Under 17 1-0 Zimbabwe Under 17
(Zimbabwe win 2-1 on aggregate)

CBZ Premier Soccer League:
Motor Action 3-0 Njube Sundowns; Lengthens 0-0 Underhill; CAPS FC 1-1 Kiglon

CBZ Premier Soccer League Table (September 16, 2008):

TEAM		Played	Won	Drew	Lost	G/F	G/A	Points
1	Monomotapa	21	14	2	5	36	25	44
2	Njube Sundowns	21	11	2	8	32	26	35
3	Dynamos	17	8	7	2	21	14	31
4	Highlanders	20	7	10	3	26	12	31
5	Shooting Stars	22	8	7	7	22	18	31
6	Motor Action	21	9	3	9	25	27	30
7	Chapungu	20	8	5	7	25	18	29
8	Kiglon	21	6	10	5	22	21	28
9	Underhill	21	6	8	7	27	34	26
10	Lengthens	20	7	5	8	26	28	26
11	CAPS United	21	5	9	7	22	23	24
12	Masvingo United	21	6	5	10	18	32	23
13	Eastern Lions	21	6	5	10	18	32	23
14	Gunners	21	5	7	9	26	31	22
15	CAPS FC	21	4	9	8	22	26	21
16	Lancashire Steel	21	4	6	11	21	32	18

TOP GOAL SCORERS:

PLAYER & TEAM	GOALS
Evans Chikwaikwai (Njube Sundowns)	17
Cuthberth Malajila (Highlanders)	13
Edward Sadomba (Dynamos)	12
Tawanda Nyamandwe (Kiglon)	8
Nyasha Mushekwi (CAPS United), Daniel Zokoto (Monomotapa), Douglas Zimbago (Highlanders)	7
Tendai Nyamadzawo (Lengthens), Simon Chipunza (Lancashire Steel)	6
Charles Chiutsa (Monomotapa)	5
Thanks Tengwe (Gunners), Patrick Tom (Sundowns), Kudakwashe Musharu (Underhill), Ronald Sengu (Lengthens), Clemence Matawu, Louis Matawu (Motor Action), Makai Kawashu (Monomotapa), Thabani Kamusoko (Njube Sundowns), Esau Amisi (Shooting Stars)	4

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