MONOMOTAPA have 15 games to retrieve their Premier League crown from the clutches of Dynamos as the second half of the season gets underway this weekend after a two-week break.
The defending champions are on the road to Highway on Sunday – their last domestic match before a Champions League clash with Etoile du Sahel on July 19 at Rufaro.
The mid-season break has been a blessing in disguise for Monomotapa boss Rodwell Dhlakama as he welcomes back the quartet of Mthulisi Maphosa, Asani Nhongo, Daniel Zokoto and Daniel Kamunhenga from injury.
Dhlakama said: “It was a good break for us, some of the players are almost there and this game will give us a better picture of our readiness for the Champions League.
Monomotapa are likely to give new signing Tendai Gwata a place in the starting line up.
“We cannot afford to be complacent on Sunday. For our own confidence, a win is best.”
The defending champions, after a poor start, have crept into eighth position – a massive 12 points adrift of leaders Dynamos. Monomotapa have won five, lost five and drawn the same number of games compared to the leaders’ 10 wins, three draws and two defeats.
Their opponents on Sunday -- the Shepherd Muradzikwa-coached Highway -- are level on 15 points with Bantu Rovers who take up the last of the relegation spots.
The weekend action starts at Gwanzura on Saturday with a top-of-the-table clash between title challengers Gunners and Highlanders.
In the reverse fixture at Barbourfields, Highlanders won 1-0 through a penalty but Moses Chunga’s Gunners made a forceful protest, charging they were denied a spot kick by a ‘home town decision’ from Bulawayo referee Thabani Mkantjo.
Highlanders will go into the match mourning their former defender and juniors coach, Bekithemba ‘Malala’ Nkiwane, who was buried on Friday.
Lengthens, in third place, face struggling Black Rhinos at Dzivarasekwa; Motor Action make the short trip to Marondera for a date with Eagles while Shooting Stars are at Rufaro against Kiglon.
On Sunday, Bantu Rovers’ push to beat relegation will be severely tested when they meet resurgent Njube Sundowns at Barbourfields. Sundowns will be missing the pair of leading scorer and Soccer Star of the Year Evans Chikwaikwai and Thabani Kamusoko, who are club hunting in South Africa.
Dynamos take on bottom-table Underhill at Rufaro on Sunday while CAPS United face a tough trip to the Colliery for a date with Hwange.
Premier Soccer League Fixtures
Saturday: Lengthens-Black Rhinos (Dzivarasekwa); Eagles-Motor Action (Rudhaka); Gunners-Highlanders (Gwanzura); Shooting Stars-Kiglon (Rufaro)
Sunday: Dynamos vs Underhill (Rufaro); Bantu Rovers vs Njube Sundowns (Barbourfields); Hwange vs CAPS United (Colliery); Highway vs Monomotapa (Sakubva)
Premier Soccer League: Friday, July 10, 2009
|
TEAM
|
Played
|
Won
|
Drew
|
Lost
|
G/F
|
G/A
|
Points
|
| 1 |
Dynamos |
15
|
10
|
2
|
3
|
24
|
8
|
32
|
| |
| 2 |
Gunners |
15
|
8
|
4
|
3
|
23
|
13
|
28
|
| 3 |
Lengthens |
15
|
7
|
5
|
4
|
15
|
12
|
25
|
| 4 |
CAPS United |
15
|
6
|
6
|
3
|
18
|
13
|
24
|
| 5 |
Highlanders |
15
|
6
|
5
|
4
|
13
|
13
|
|
| 6 |
Hwange |
15
|
6
|
4
|
5
|
16
|
14
|
22
|
| 7 |
Kiglon |
15
|
4
|
8
|
3
|
17
|
14
|
20
|
| 8 |
Monomotapa |
15
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
18
|
18
|
20
|
| 9 |
Eagles |
15
|
4
|
7
|
4
|
12
|
14
|
19
|
| 10 |
Njube Sundowns |
15
|
4
|
6
|
5
|
20
|
19
|
18
|
| 11 |
Shooting Stars |
15
|
4
|
6
|
5
|
14
|
15
|
18
|
| 12 |
Motor Action |
15
|
2
|
11
|
2
|
12
|
12
|
17
|
| 13 |
Highway |
15
|
3
|
6
|
6
|
14
|
17
|
15
|
| |
| 14 |
Bantu Rovers |
15
|
4
|
3
|
8
|
15
|
19
|
15
|
| 15 |
Black Rhinos |
15
|
4
|
2
|
9
|
11
|
27
|
14
|
| 16 |
Underhill |
15
|
1
|
5
|
9
|
11
|
25
|
8
|
Premier League Top Scorers
| |
TEAM
|
GOALS
|
| Norman Maroto |
Gunners
|
10
|
| Nyasha Mushekwi |
CAPS United
|
9
|
| Cuthberth Malajila |
Dynamos
|
9
|
| Evans Chikwaikwai |
Njube Sundowns
|
7
|
| Tawanda Nyamandwe |
Kiglon
|
6
|
| Dylan Chivandire |
Njube Sundowns
|
6
|
| Ramson Zhuwawo |
Gunners
|
5
|
| Tafadzwa Rusike |
CAPS United
|
5
|
Southern Region Division One League
Pool A Table:
| |
TEAM
|
Played
|
Won
|
Drew
|
Lost
|
GF
|
GA
|
Points
|
| 1 |
Chicken Inn |
10
|
8
|
2
|
0
|
25
|
8
|
26
|
| 2 |
Quelaton |
10
|
7
|
0
|
3
|
16
|
6
|
21
|
| 3 |
Kujatana |
10
|
5
|
2
|
3
|
14
|
10
|
17
|
| 4 |
Zimbabwe Saints |
8
|
5
|
1
|
2
|
11
|
5
|
16
|
| 5 |
Railstars |
10
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
11
|
10
|
15
|
| 6 |
FC Windermere |
8
|
4
|
2
|
2
|
9
|
6
|
14
|
| 7 |
Sao Paulo |
9
|
3
|
4
|
2
|
10
|
9
|
13
|
| 8 |
New West City |
9
|
1
|
4
|
4
|
11
|
13
|
7
|
| 9 |
Mpumalanga United |
8
|
2
|
1
|
5
|
8
|
14
|
7
|
| 10 |
Victoria Falls |
9
|
1
|
3
|
5
|
9
|
19
|
6
|
| 11 |
CMED Justice |
9
|
0
|
3
|
6
|
5
|
17
|
3
|
| 12 |
Makokoba City Warriors |
8
|
0
|
3
|
5
|
7
|
19
|
3
|
Southern Region Division One League
Pool B Table:
| |
TEAM
|
Played
|
Won
|
Drew
|
Lost
|
GF
|
GA
|
Points
|
| 1 |
Shabanie Mine |
10
|
8
|
2
|
0
|
26
|
8
|
26
|
| 2 |
Chapungu |
11
|
7
|
3
|
1
|
22
|
4
|
24
|
| 3 |
Eagles |
11
|
7
|
0
|
4
|
22
|
17
|
21
|
| 4 |
Border Strikers |
10
|
6
|
1
|
3
|
17
|
9
|
19
|
| 5 |
Ziscosteel |
11
|
5
|
4
|
2
|
7
|
3
|
19
|
| 6 |
Mateta |
10
|
5
|
2
|
3
|
17
|
14
|
17
|
| 7 |
Mimosa |
10
|
4
|
4
|
2
|
17
|
6
|
16
|
| 8 |
Tongogara |
11
|
5
|
0
|
6
|
17
|
22
|
15
|
| 9 |
Silo United |
10
|
2
|
5
|
3
|
9
|
9
|
11
|
| 10 |
BVM |
10
|
3
|
1
|
6
|
10
|
19
|
10
|
| 11 |
Chrome Stars |
9
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
9
|
14
|
9
|
| 12 |
Super Dynamos |
10
|
2
|
2
|
6
|
6
|
15
|
8
|
| 13 |
Zimalloys |
9
|
1
|
0
|
8
|
7
|
24
|
3
|
| 14 |
Zimalloys |
10
|
0
|
1
|
9
|
5
|
27
|
1
|
Eastern Region Division One League
Eastern Region Table:
| |
TEAM
|
Played
|
Won
|
Drew
|
Lost
|
GF
|
GA
|
Points
|
| 1 |
FC Victoria |
13
|
10
|
0
|
3
|
30
|
12
|
30
|
| 2 |
Masvingo United |
13
|
8
|
3
|
5
|
28
|
11
|
27
|
| 3 |
Chiredzi |
13
|
7
|
4
|
2
|
24
|
9
|
25
|
| 4 |
Air Zim Jets |
13
|
6
|
6
|
1
|
22
|
11
|
24
|
| 5 |
Buffaloes |
13
|
7
|
2
|
4
|
16
|
14
|
23
|
| 6 |
Nzuma Bar |
13
|
6
|
4
|
3
|
15
|
18
|
22
|
| 7 |
Mutare United |
13
|
6
|
3
|
4
|
25
|
15
|
21
|
| 8 |
Mwenezana |
13
|
6
|
2
|
5
|
33
|
23
|
20
|
| 9 |
Mutare Farm Supply |
12
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
23
|
19
|
19
|
| 10 |
Blue Swallows |
13
|
6
|
1
|
6
|
21
|
17
|
19
|
| 11 |
Golden Stars |
13
|
4
|
2
|
7
|
13
|
23
|
14
|
| 12 |
Hippo Valley |
12
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
11
|
20
|
13
|
| 13 |
Triangle |
13
|
3
|
4
|
6
|
17
|
25
|
13
|
| 14 |
Mutoko Pirates |
13
|
3
|
3
|
7
|
11
|
19
|
12
|
| 15 |
United Lions |
13
|
2
|
4
|
7
|
16
|
27
|
10
|
| 16 |
Manhingi |
13
|
2
|
4
|
7
|
13
|
27
|
10
|
| 17 |
Grain Masters |
13
|
1
|
6
|
6
|
12
|
20
|
9
|
| 18 |
Mkwasine |
13
|
1
|
4
|
8
|
12
|
25
|
7
|
Northern Region Division One League
Northern Region Table:
| |
TEAM
|
Played
|
Won
|
Drew
|
Lost
|
GF
|
GA
|
Points
|
| 1 |
Simba Stars |
10
|
8
|
2
|
0
|
22
|
6
|
26
|
| 2 |
Aces Academy |
10
|
7
|
2
|
1
|
29
|
14
|
23
|
| 3 |
Douglas Warriors |
10
|
5
|
5
|
0
|
19
|
11
|
20
|
| 4 |
Black Mambas |
10
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
15
|
12
|
18
|
| 5 |
Zinwa |
10
|
5
|
1
|
4
|
16
|
11
|
16
|
| 6 |
Blue Ribbon |
10
|
4
|
2
|
4
|
14
|
13
|
14
|
| 7 |
Karoi United |
10
|
4
|
0
|
6
|
13
|
25
|
12
|
| 8 |
Kurai United |
10
|
2
|
4
|
4
|
12
|
14
|
10
|
| 9 |
Flame Lilly |
10
|
1
|
5
|
4
|
13
|
15
|
8
|
| 10 |
NDS Rovers |
10
|
2
|
2
|
6
|
9
|
14
|
8
|
| 11 |
Dorking Farm |
10
|
1
|
4
|
5
|
12
|
14
|
7
|
| 12 |
Kadoma United |
10
|
0
|
2
|
8
|
6
|
28
|
2
|