Zimpapers Logo

Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter

BORDER Strikers mentor Luke Masomere has admitted that he may have failed to help his side avoid demotion, but insisted that history would not remember him as the coach who sank the team since he presided over very few matches where he was only trying to “rescue the situation’’.The Beitbridge side will officially get relegated this weekend should they lose against Mutare City and their rivals in the drop zone pick some points.Mutare City and Tsholotsho are the other teams with the axe on their heads. Two teams will be demoted from the elite league.

For Chapungu the threat is distant and can only come to fruition should the Gweru side lose all their remaining four matches while Mutare City and Tsholotsho pick maximum points.

Chapungu just need a single point to ease out of the relegation zone.Border Strikers who have accumulated 14 points from 28 matches will become the first team to go under should they fail to win against Mutare.

Tsholotsho, with 20 points are second from bottom while Mutare City (22 points) are 14th and Chapungu above them have 31 points.Masomere yesterday acknowledged that the rescue mission had failed, but argued that he had tried his best.

“The situation is very tight at the club and even when I came it was bad. If I had come earlier on maybe it would have been better.“We have done so much in terms of trying to survive relegation and this was also evident in the way we played against CAPS United.

“We played well they scored, we equalised, we saw red, but managed to have a decent second half despite the fact that we were one player short.“But I don’t shoulder any blame even one percent blame on the team’s relegation. I joined the team and thought would rescue the team, but professionally no one can blame even those that follow Border Strikers can give me credit,” said Masomere.

Although, destiny appears to have been sealed for Masomere and his troops, it is not the same for Lizwe Sweswe and his men as well as Mutare City coach Taku Shariwa.

This is because they still have another day to fight. Of the teams facing the chop, Tsholotsho seem to have a tougher route to negotiate.After the weekend match against Chapungu, Tsholotsho will meet Highlanders before playing Bulawayo City in a derby.

They will wind off their assignments against FC Platinum.Mutare City’s last four matches include the one against Border Strikers at home, an away trip to Dynamos after which they receive Harare City and wind off their maiden Premiership season with a tricky assignment away to Ngezi Platinum at Baobab.

Meanwhile, Hwange emerged the most disciplined team in the Premier Soccer League so far after they accumulated the least number of disciplinary points.Chipangano, this season picked a total of 115 yellow cards and 30 red cards. FC Platinum is the second best disciplined team with 110 yellow cards picked by their players during the season, 20 red cards and also paid some few fines for discipline.

CAPS United are the worst disciplined team with 206 yellow cards and 10 red cards. On their charge sheet they have also been found guilty of having delayed kick-off and paid some disciplinary fines as well.Border Strikers are behind CAPS United on the poor record with 215 cards, 20 red cards and had some offences for which they were fined.

Fixtures

Saturday: Mutare City Rovers v Border Strikers (Sakubva, SS), Chicken Inn v ZPC Kariba (White City), Tsholotsho v Chapungu (Luveve), FC Platinum v Ngezi Platinum (Mandava).

Sunday: Hwange v Harare City (Colliery), Triangle v How Mine (Gibbo), Highlanders v Bulawayo City (Barbourfields), CAPS United v Dynamos (National Sports Stadium 1500hrs SS).