The 2024 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season promises more drama if events on Week 7 are anything to go by as the top three failed to win while Manica Diamonds, who were bottom after four games, jumped to sixth following a third successive win.
Dynamos finally scored a goal and also won a match at Rufaro this season when they beat TelOne 1-0 on Sunday having fired blanks against Yadah and Bulawayo Chiefs.
It was the first home win of the season for Genesis Mangombe's charges.
Pacesetters Highlanders' unbeaten start to the season ended at home to Bulawayo rivals, Chicken Inn who capitalised on horrendous defending by the hosts to take a 2-0 lead inside the opening 16 minutes.
A reply from in-form Lynoth Chikuhwa was not enough as Chicken Inn closed in on the leadership having gained five points over Highlanders, who managed just one point from a possible six in the last two match days.
Going into the Bulawayo derby, Highlanders coach, Kelvin Kaindu had expressed his concern over their poor start in the 1-1 draw at Ngezi Platinum on Week 6 and the Independence Trophy final against Dynamos in Buhera as they conceded early goals.
The trend continued on Sunday and resulted in their first league defeat of the season.
Highlanders, however, stayed top of the standings after neighbours Bulawayo Chiefs beat ambitious Simba Bhora across town at Luveve to keep Tonderai Ndiraya's men on 13 points.
It was Simba Bhora's second defeat of the season and second loss in Bulawayo having suffered their first defeat of the season at Barbourfields against Highlanders (0-1) in Week Three. Victory on Sunday would have taken Simba Bhora top of the standings.
Former champions FC Platinum remain the only unbeaten side in the league ahead of their home match against ZPC Kariba at Mandava tomorrow.
On Saturday FC Platinum had the opportunity to move level with Highlanders as they hosted newcomers, Bikita Minerals but had to settle for a 2-2 draw after squandering a two-goal lead in the second half.
DULLEST DAY OF THE 2024 SEASON
Saturday became the dullest day of the season so far as the four matches yielded just four goals at Mandava while the other three matches ended goalless.
There were zero goals at half-time as FC Platinum hosted Bikita Minerals, Yadah entertained newcomers Chegutu Pirates, ZPC Kariba took on Arenel Movers and GreenFuel met Herentals.
The four goals at Mandava came in the second half with FC Platinum scoring after 51 and 57 minutes while the visitors responded in the 69th and 83rd minutes.
While there were also three goalless draws on the Saturday of Matchday 3, there were three other games that yielded seven goals.
JOINT-DULLEST MATCHDAY
When Hwange held struggling champions Ngezi Platinum to a 0-0 draw on Sunday, it meant Week 7 had four goalless draws, the joint most 0-0 deadlocks so far this season. On Week Three, four goalless draws involved ZPC Kariba at home to Ngezi Platinum, Manica Diamonds hosting Chegutu Pirates, Arenel at home to Herentals, and Yadah hosting Dynamos.
Both Week 3 and Week 7 had a total of just 10 goals scored from nine matches.
In Week 7, only one match -- the Bulawayo derby between Highlanders and Chicken Inn- had goals in the first half. The other seven goals scored over the weekend came in the second half. Thus eight of the nine matches in Week 7 were goalless at half-time.
DULLEST TEAMS
In the two matchdays that have had the most goalless draws, SIX teams Ngezi Platinum, Arenel, Herentals, ZPC Kariba, Chegutu Pirates, and Yadah have featured in both, making them the dullest teams in the campaign so far.
In both Week 3 and Week 7, 11 teams failed to score
LIVELIEST MATCHDAY
Week 6 remains the Only matchday that did not have a goalless draw and the 24 goals scored across nine matches are the most so far in the campaign. The other four matchdays had one goalless draw each although the opening weekend currently excludes the outstanding match between Herentals and Bikita Minerals.
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PSL WEEK 7
Sunday: Bulawayo Chiefs 1-0 Simba Bhora, Dynamos 1-0 TelOne, Highlanders 1-2 Chicken Inn, Hwange 0-0 Ngezi Platinum, Manica Diamonds 1-0 CAPS United
Saturday
FC Platinum 2-2 Bikita Minerals, ZPC Kariba 0-0 Arenel Movers, Greenfuel 0-0 Herentals, Yadah 0-0 Chegutu Pirates
WEEK 8 FIXTURES
Tomorrow: Bikita Minerals v Simba Bhora (Sakubva), FC Platinum v ZPC Kariba (Mandava), Herentals v Highlanders (Rufaro), Chicken Inn v Hwange (Luveve), Ngezi Platinum v Yadah (Baobab), TelOne v Bulawayo Chiefs (Bata)
Thursday: CAPS United v Greenfuel (Rufaro), Chegutu Pirates v Dynamos (Baobab), Arenel Movers v Manica Diamonds (Luveve)
