The Curse of Game 29

Robson Sharuko : Senior Sports Editor

FIVE years ago, FC Platinum’s audacious bid to become the first club in 45 years from outside Harare and Bulawayo to become champions of Zimbabwe football was destroyed by what has come to be known as the “Curse of Game 29.” Needing just a victory or a draw at home to match the grand achievements of the St Paul’s team which took the crown to their base in Musami, Murehwa in 1966, the Zvishavane miners collapsed under the weight of expectations from a community that had already broken into celebrations and nosedived to a 0-1 defeat.

Dynamos staged a spectacular smash-and-grab raid at Mandava with that win giving the Glamour Boys the advantage and they duly completed their mission to become champions the following week by beating Kiglon 2-0 at Rufaro.

FC Platinum were left to feed on crumbs as they nursed the wounds inflicted by that shattering home defeat that changed everything.

And for the next three years, while FC Platinum struggled to find a way back into the light in the darkness cast by the events of that afternoon, they watched from a distance as Dynamos dominated the domestic landscape with coach Callisto Pasuwa winning four straight league titles with the Glamour Boys.

But, in football as in life, things do change.

And, this year, with seven matches left in the race for the league championship, FC Platinum find themselves with their fate in their hands, holding a one-point lead over CAPS United, with the two rivals set to continue their quest for honours tomorrow when the miners travel to Beitbridge while Makepekepe have a date against ZPC Kariba in the resort town.

Highlanders, who last won the league title in 2006 are waiting for an opportunity to strike and praying that the leading two stumble along the way, starting with tomorrow’s tricky assignments, with Bosso buoyed by a recent revival which saw them demonstrate the kind of character which wins titles when they came from behind to beat Dynamos 2-1 at Barbourfields.

But there is still so much at stake and the people of Zvishavane will be hoping that the “Curse of Game 29” does not strike again to destroy the p. They have a date against Bosso in the penultimate match of their campaign, which could prove decisive.

Norman Mapeza’s men will take on Highlanders in Week 29 of the marathon at Mandava in a game that could either destroy or fuel their quest for a league title which the people of Zvishavane believe their team badly deserve this year.

Interestingly, FC Platinum usually struggle against Bosso when Highlanders come to Mandava and the miners have only won once in Week 29 when they beat Hwange 1-0 two years ago at the Colliery. In that season, FC Platinum also lost 0-1 at home to Highlanders and ended six points adrift of eventual champions Dynamos.

Last year, FC Platinum were firmly in the race for the league championship which featured eventual champions Chicken Inn and after holding the Gamecocks in Bulawayo many seasoned commentators began saying this was the season the miners were going to break the duck to be crowned champions. But their campaign ended when the “Curse of Week 29” struck at Mandava as they dropped two crucial points in a 1-1 draw against a battling CAPS United while Chicken Inn beat Harare City 3-1, in the same weekend to open a two-point lead with just a game to go in the championship race.

FC Platinum never recovered from that draw against Makepekepe and were held by Dongo Sawmill in their final game while Chicken Inn beat Flame Lily to win the championship by four points. Mapeza’s men also failed to beat Bosso in their Mandava backyard last year with the Bulawayo side battling their way to a 2-2 draw in Zvishavane.

Two years ago, Bosso also came to Zvishavane and escaped with a 1-0 victory at Mandava as FC Platinum eventually finished half-a-dozen points adrift of the eventual champions. In 2013, the “Curse of Week 29” also hit FC Platinum who were held to a 1-1 draw by How Mine and with those dropped points they crashed out of the championship race which they eventually finished four points behind eventual winners Dynamos.

That season, the Zvishavane miners also failed to beat Bosso at home after the Bulawayo giants battled on to secure a point in a goalless draw at Mandava.

A year earlier, Bosso had beaten FC Platinum 1-0 of course in Week 29 of the championship, although the Zvishavane miners were not in the race for the championship as they struggled in the darkness of the spell cast by the events of the previous year when they had virtually handed the title to Dynamos by failing to hold on to a draw in their backyard.

FC Platinum have won six times in their backyard in 11 games so far this season drawing four and losing one and they have won six times on the road, drawing five and losing just one match. CAPS United have won eight times at home, drawing four and are unbeaten in their backyard while they have won five matches, away from home, drawn three and lost three.

All their three losses have come in Bulawayo against Highlanders, How Mine and Bulawayo City and those who are backing the Green Machine to win this race will be happy to realise that they won’t be returning to the City of Kings for another league assignment this season.

Highlanders have won six matches at home, drawn three and lost two, with the losses being inflicted by FC Platinum and Mutare City Rovers, while they have won six matches on the road, drawn two and lost four.

REMAINING FIXTURES

Round 24

Dynamos v Tsholotsho; ZPC Kariba v Kariba; Border Strikers v FC Platinum; Ngezi Platinum v Chapungu; Harare City v Highlanders; How Mine v Hwange; Bulawayo City v Triangle; Chicken Inn v Mutare City

Round 25

Triangle v Chicken Inn; Tsholotsho v Harare City; CAPS United v How Mine; Highlanders v Ngezi Platinum; Mutare City v ZPC Kariba; Hwange v Border Strikers; Chapungu v Bulawayo City; FC Platinum v Dynamos

Round 26

Harare City v FC Platinum; Bulawayo City v Chicken Inn; Ngezi Platinum v Tsholotsho; How Mine v Mutare City; Border Strikers v CAPS United; Dynamos v Hwange; ZPC Kariba v Triangle; Chapungu v Highlanders

Round 27

Hwange v Harare City; Tsholotsho v Chapungu; Triangle v How Mine; Chicken Inn v ZRP Kariba; CAPS United v Dynamos; Highlanders v Bulawayo City; Mutare City v Border Strikers; FC Platinum v Ngezi Platinum

Round 28

How Mine v Chicken Inn; Bulawayo City v ZRP Kariba

Chapungu v FC Platinum; Dynamos v Mutare City; Highlanders v Tsholotsho; Harare City v CAPS United; Border Strikers v Triangle; Ngezi Platinum v Hwange

Round 29

Mutare City v Harare City; Tsholotsho v Bulawayo City; Hwange v Chapungu; Triangle v Dynamos; ZPC Kariba v How Mine; CAPS United v Ngezi Platinum; Chicken Inn v Border Strikers; FC Platinum v Highlanders

Round 30

Bulawayo City v How Mine; Dynamos v Chicken Inn; Tsholotsho v FC Platinum; Border Strikers v ZPC Kariba; Highlanders v Hwange; Chapungu v CAPS United; Harare City v Triangle; Ngezi Platinum v Mutare City.

 

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