…as race goes to wire
By Tatiana Mhararira
Triangle United FC nicknamed the ‘Sugar Sugar Boys’, who are currently leading the Eastern Region Soccer League (ERSL) standings after a 5-1 victory against Destiny FC at Gibbo Stadium on match day 32, said they are well prepared for the remaining two matches and their focus is on securing the region’s sole ticket back into the country’s top flight soccer league.
Previously in third place, Triangle United FC has now claimed the top spot, surpassing FC Wangu Mazodze (Kingdom Boys) who were log leaders for the better part of the season, and Tenax FC that was on second position.
Following their win against Destiny FC, both the Sugar Sugar Boys and the Kingdom Boys are now tied with 66 points.
Triangle United FC sits on top of the table due to a goal difference (GD) of +46, while FC Wangu Mazodze has a GD of +28. Tenax FC is on third place with 64 points and a GD of +19.
Speaking to TellZim News, Triangle United FC head coach Luke Masomere nicknamed Vahombe said he was happy with the team’s position at the top of the table considering where he took over the team which had very few points.
“We are excited to be log leaders after our recent victory against Destiny FC this is the first we have been on top this season.
“When I joined the team in June, we had few points and our performance, especially in away games, was quite poor.
“My first game on the touchline was against Tenax FC, which we won 1-0, and my second was against Mutare City Rovers when we lost and on that same match day, FC Wangu Mazodze won, extending their lead to 14 points, which motivated us to work harder as a team to reach where we are now,” said Masomere.
Masomere said that the 14 point gap created by the Kingdom Boys at some point did not intimidate him, as he encountered similar situations during his tenure at Masvingo United.
“After the gap created by the Kingdom Boys, we were a bit concerned, but my motivation lied from the experience I had in 2005 when I was coaching Masvingo United FC in the PSL. At that time, Caps United FC were log leaders with a 17 point gap. We fought hard to close the gap, and the team only lost the final match and that prevented us from being crowned the 2005 PSL Champions,” said Masomere.
As the season nears its end, Masomere said the team still had crucial roles to play in securing promotion.
“We have prepared well for the remaining two matches. While we won’t be introducing any new strategies, we will continue to push forward and stay focused. We have not yet been crowned champions, but we are hopeful about returning to the PSL,” said Masomere.
FC Wangu Mazodze could repeat last season’s fate where they drew against Renco Mine FC on the final match, which closed the door to their promotion to the PSL.
Tenax FC also missed promotion after a board meeting revealed they had fielded an unregistered player, allowing Bikita Minerals FC to secure the PSL promotion.
In an interview, FC Wangu Mazodze spokesperson Blessing Kwesha said the Kingdom Boys’ chances of promotion were delicate, and the team had faced setbacks typical in football.
“There are two games remaining, and we are tied on points with Triangle, so everything is still to play for. We are focusing on what we can control winning our remaining two games and seeing what happens next.
“The team experienced a rough patch, something that happens in football. It’s unfortunate this occurred at such a crucial time in the campaign, where three teams are vying for one promotion ticket.
“For the remaining matches, the chances of the three teams securing promotion depend on winning all their remaining games, provided there is a team or teams that fail to win giving a chance to the one which we will have won all the games and getting more point,” said Kwesha.
The Sugar Sugar Boys will face Manica Diamond U19 at home and Rusitu Tigers at Gibbo Stadium in their final match. FC Wangu Mazodze will take on St Paul’s Musami FC and Surrey FC at Mucheke Stadium, while Tenax FC will compete against Huku FC and Renco Mine FC.
