Senior Sports Reporter
TSHOLOTSHO FC are not worried about the ongoing relegation and promotion turmoil, with head coach Lizwe Sweswe saying his team is focused on collecting maximum points against Bulawayo City at Luveve Stadium tomorrow.
The Zhwane Boys are third from the bottom of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League table with 26 points, one ahead of Mutare City Rovers. Zifa councillors last month made a stunning resolution to relegate four teams in contrast to a standing agreement to drop two at the end of the season.
A 2015 agreement resolved to drop two teams from the topflight and stage promotional play-offs involving winners of Zifa’s four regional leagues to determine the two teams to fill up the two PSL slots for the 2017 season.
The councillors’ somersault on the 2015 resolution ignited a fall out between Zifa and the PSL, leaving Tsholotsho in a fix.
The other teams that find themselves in “murky relegation waters” following the shock Zifa council resolution are Chapungu, Hwange, Triangle United and How Mine.
However, Sweswe said his team is not worried about the pending relegation matter, saying they need to win to ensure they finish the season in 14th place.
“From the start of the season, we told ourselves that we’re not going down and that is still our target. Without offending powers that be, we’re not taking that issue of relegating four teams seriously because when we entered the 2016 competition we were told only two teams will be going down.
“What we simply need to do is to win our game against Bulawayo City, make sure we fight to be third from the bottom so that when the time comes to fight for our place in the topflight, we have a strong case,” said Sweswe.
Tsholotsho go into the weekend game bubbling with confidence following a 2-1 win over Highlanders before the international break. That victory all but blew away Bosso’s title hopes. Sweswe wants to build on their Bosso win and probably seal their fate this weekend.
Tsholotsho play title hopefuls FC Platinum on the last day of the season, while Mutare City, who face Harare City tomorrow at Sakubva Stadium, will wrap up their season with an away match against Ngezi Platinum Stars. Mutare City are likely to be without head coach Taku Shariwa, who is attending a Caf B coaching clinic in Bulawayo.
PSL Fixtures
Tomorrow: Tsholotsho FC v Bulawayo City (Luveve, 3 PM, SuperSport), Mutare City v Harare City (Sakubva), ZPC Kariba v How Mine (Nyamhunga)
Sunday: FC Platinum v Highlanders (Mandava, 3PM, SuperSport), Hwange v Chapungu (Colliery), Caps United v Ngezi Platinum (National Sports Stadium), Triangle United v Dynamos (Gibbo), Chicken Inn v Border Strikers (Luveve)
Table
P W D L F A GD Pts
Caps United 28 16 9 3 40 21 19 57
FC Platinum 28 15 10 3 32 15 17 55
Highlanders 28 16 5 7 38 21 17 53
Dynamos 28 11 10 7 26 21 5 43
Chicken Inn 28 11 8 9 27 18 9 41
ZPC Kariba 28 10 11 7 22 21 1 41
Harare City 28 11 5 12 30 25 5 38
Ngezi Platinum 28 10 8 10 27 26 1 38
Bulawayo City 28 10 8 10 25 25 0 38
How Mine 28 8 11 9 26 25 1 35
Triangle United 28 9 8 11 25 31 -6 35
Hwange 28 9 8 11 24 32 -8 35
Chapungu 28 7 10 11 22 26 -4 31
Tsholotsho FC 28 7 5 16 22 33 -11 26
*Mutare City 28 7 7 14 22 39 -17 25
Border Strikers 28 4 3 21 10 39 -29 15
*Three points deducted for use of a suspended player