Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
INTERIM Ngezi Platinum Stars coach Clifton Kadurira has remained a defiant man, insisting his side might stage a dramatic comeback and overhaul their nine-point deficit behind leaders FC Platinum and snatch the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League championship.

Fc Platinum just need a point from their remaining games to secure a second successive title.

But Kadurira has his own ideas, dreams and theories.

Yet Kadurira knows FC Platinum could be crowned champions on Sunday even if his Ngezi win their home match against Bulawayo City and the leaders are held by already relegated Shabanie Mine.

Despite being nine points behind, Ngezi have all the pressure as their destiny is no longer in their hands.

Kadurira is now praying hard for FC Platinum to lose all their remaining matches while they win theirs by bigger margins to win their maiden title.

But something must have gone terribly wrong somewhere along the way for a team which had a flying start to the season, under the guidance of Tonderai Ndiraya for them to fire their coach with five games to go and find themselves in the desperate situation they are in.

Ngezi have recorded 19 wins out of 31 matches while FC Platinum have won 22 times out of the same number of games.

Both sides have drawn five times each with Ngezi’s home record better than that of the leaders.

FC Platinum have lost five points at home having lost once to ZPC Kariba and drawing twice while Ngezi failed to pick a full set of points on two occasions, losing once to the leaders and drawing against Chapungu. A closer analysis of the two title chasers shows that Ngezi’s poor away record was their biggest undoing and if as largely expected FC Platinum seal the championship, Kadurira and his men will reflect and curse their failure rate on the road.

Out of the seven losses Ngezi have suffered this season, six of them were on the road to Bulawayo Chiefs, Yadah, Black Rhinos, Herentals and the relegated pair of Bulawayo City and Mutare City.

Now Kadurira is hoping FC Platinum also lose to relegated Shabanie on Super Sunday before his team clash against Norman Mapeza’s men in the penultimate fixture at Mandava.

Kadurira’s hopes have been raised by Shabanie coach Alexio Sigion who was putting on a brace face yesterday and threatening to derail the FC Platinum party. Sigion said his team’s fate in the top-flight might have been sealed a fortnight ago but they will not hand rivals FC Platinum the points on a silver platter in the famous Zvishavane derby at Maglas.

FC Platinum could be crowned champions for the second time in a row if they avoid defeat against their cross town foes even if distant title hopefuls Ngezi Platinum record a victory over Bulawayo Chiefs at Baobab on the same afternoon.

Sigion called for professionalism amongst his players whom he urged to showcase their talent in the grand match.

“Of course we have since been relegated though I feel we gave a good fight in our failed bid to survive. But, we remain professional and we hold firmly to the tenets of fair play as is the essence of football.

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