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Sports Reporter
WITH the championship race having been decided in the Northern Region Division One Soccer League, the focus will now shift to the bottom half where clubs are fighting for survival.

Ngezi Platinum won the championship race last Saturday with six games to spare. The bottom half clubs still have a lot to fight for in the remaining games as they battle to avoid the chop when the curtain comes down.

Northern Region League chairman, Willard Manyengavana, said they were likely to relegate five teams at the end of the season. Last year they relegated six teams with the three provinces Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West and Harare providing two teams each.

But this year Mashonaland Central will promote one team as they have one league running. Usually all the three provinces have an A and B league and the top teams get promotion into the First Division.

“The number of teams to be relegated depends on how many teams are relegated from the Premiership into our region.

“We have three provinces and each provides two teams each under normal circumstances but this time Mashonaland Central will promote one team because they have one league.

“Those other provinces have two leagues — A and B — and so it means we have five teams and we will promote one, which leaves us with four teams to be relegated.

“But if we have a team relegated from the Premiership from our region then we will relegate five teams,” said Manyengavana.

Teams like Zatex now have slim chances of surviving relegation as they are currently languishing at the bottom of the log table with 17 points from 28 games while DC Academy are second from the bottom with 22 points.

Seven Flames are 16th while Blue Jets are on position 15.

Lake Harvest and Starbill are occupying position 15 and 14 respectively with 32 points each and Darwin sitting on position 13 are one place ahead of Starbill with 33 points.

Manyengavana said they were happy with the quality of competition in the region.

“Ngezi have already been promoted, there was competition but, at least, Ngezi managed to win most of their games.

“If you look at the number of games they won and drew and the teams they drew against you can see there was competition but I believe that Ngezi were just too good.

“I think this has never happened in the Northern Region that a team is crowned champions with six games to go for a long time.

“So Ngezi were a strong team but if you look at teams like ZRP FC and Gunners they were playing well,” said Manyengavana.

Last year Flame Lily emerged the winners in a championship race that had to be decided on the last day of the league’s programme