The Sunday Mail
Ishemunyoro Chingwere
RELEGATED WhaWha insist they won’t be out to aid fellow prison wardens Flame Lily’s fight against the chop when the two sides clash in a Castle Lager Premiership match at Ascot today.
Fourteenth-placed Flame Lily are still in with a mathematical chance to escape the dreaded chop going into the penultimate round of fixtures.
Coach Takesure Chiragwi’s men are sitting on 25 points and hope to add six in their last two fixtures to take their tally to 31. Such a return will see them overtaking Buffaloes who are on 29 points and Tsholotsho who are on 30 points — provided the duo loses their remaining matches. But WhaWha coach Lloyd Mutasa says they will not be doing their colleagues any favours.
“We are professionals and will be treating this match exactly in the same manner we treated all the matches we played before we were officially relegated,” he says. As coaches we have a duty to tell our players that this is not the end of life, a relegated team can fight its way up and be promoted again and that has to be done beginning with this match.”
Mutasa, a sports officer with the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services, says his side is keen to keep their recent impressive home record intact.
Title-chasers FC Platinum and Dynamos both left Ascot empty-handed, as did Bulawayo giants Highlanders.
Mutasa’s men have knitted together an eight-match unbeaten run at home, having last lost 1-2 to ZPC Kariba on May 16.
“We have a record of playing well at home and we would want that reputation defended,” he affirms.
On the other hand, Flame Lilly are undefeated in the four matches they have played under the mentorship of the young Chiragwi. The four-match run has seen them stunning Triangle 3-0 at Gibbo as well as forcing FC Platinum and Dynamos into a share of spoils.
Skipper Gift Phiri has been outstanding and the right-back’s contributions will be needed most in this final push.
Chiragwi is aware that fate is no longer in their hands but wants his team to do their part and win the remaining matches.
“We do not know what happens next. Destiny is no longer solely in our hands but at the same time we will continue playing to win,” said Chiragwi after watching his side draw with FC Platinum in a midweek fixture.
Fixtures: How Mine v Dongo (Luveve), Highlanders v Tsholotsho (Barbourfields), WhaWha v Flame Lily (Ascot), Triangle v Buffaloes (Gibbo). All matches scheduled to start at 3pm
