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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
BLACK Rhinos moved a place up the ladder to second position in the Northern Region Division One soccer league despite being held to a goalless draw by unbeaten Ngezi Platinum over the weekend at One Commando. The army side went into this game searching for maximum points to close the gap on the leaders but that task proved to be a bit difficult for them when they settled for a 0-0 stalemate in their own backyard.

In the reverse fixture Rhinos were thumped 0-3 by Ngezi at Baobab and last week their coach, Droment Chirova, said they would be out for a revenge which didn’t come to pass on Saturday.

Rhinos will, however, take comfort in the fact that despite dropping two points on Saturday, they climbed a place up the ladder into second position with 40 points now after Gunners lost 0-1 to Herentals and dropped to fourth.

Chirova said a draw was the fairest result of the day although he noted that they could have won the match had their strikers been more clinical in front of the goals.

“It was a 50-50 game, even the type of play was equal on both sides. Ngezi came out with their tactical play but I thank God we were prepared for it and we prevailed to get that point.

“We missed two clear chances in the first 45 minutes. Our strikers lacked composure to just tap it (the ball) in. We got another chance in the dying minutes but we threw it away into the goalkeeper’s hands. But all in all it was a good game,” Chirova said.

Chirova said they are not throwing in the towel yet as there are still 11 more games to go before the curtain comes down on the league.

“For now we are on second position because of that point. It will give us the motivation to keep on playing well and manoeuvring our way up, you never know what happens. It’s not over until it’s over.

“For now it may seem like Ngezi Platinum have taken the championship title but there are 11 games to go and they will meet some stubborn teams along the way.

“They still have Mushowani and Gunners to play, so we are still focused as Black Rhinos and we have to maintain the level of play we are at now,” said Chirova.

The former Premiership side are 15 points behind Ngezi Platinum.

Although they are maintaining the positive attitude, Rhinos have to know that the log leaders will not surrender their lead in the championship race easily, especially after such a fine run that has seen them going for 23 games without a defeat.

For Herentals, Archmore Majarira’s second half goal was all they needed to upset favourites Gunners at Motor Action SPorts Club.

Results

Darwin 1, DStv Rangers 0; Lake Harvest 1, Karoi United 0; Seven Flames 0, Cargo Carriers 1; ZRP FC 1, Blue Swallows 0; Black Rhinos 0, Ngezi 0; Gunners 0, Herentals 1; Zatex 1, Starbill 3; Mushowani 5, DC Academy 1; Blue Jets 0, ZRP Morris 2.