Eddie Chikamhi — Former champions FC Platinum are now certain to end the first half of the 2024 Castle Lager Premiership campaign on top of the table after breaking clear of the chasing pack at the weekend.
The platinum miners edged Simba Bhora 1-0 at Mandava to create a three-point cushion at the apex just before the mid-season changeover.
It was a weekend dominated by mining teams as second-placed Manica Diamonds stretched their unbeaten run to 12 games.
Ngezi Platinum Stars extended their winning streak to five games on the bounce and they eased into third place, ahead of the final round of the league's first-half fixtures.
They swapped places with Shamva-based Simba Bhora who dropped one place into fourth, with the traditional giants still shut out of the top four.
Norman Mapeza's FC Platinum, who shot to the top last week, consolidated their place after taking advantage of the failure to pick up maximum points by nearest rivals Manica Diamonds. The Zvishavane platinum miners are enjoying a rich vein of form with six wins in their last seven games. They have collected a massive 19 points from a possible 21 since their last defeat on April 28.
Substitute Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya gave them a hard-fought win against in-form Simba Bhora at Mandava on Saturday. Ngwenya had hardly been on the pitch when the platinum launched an 88th-minute counter-attack that resulted in the goal. Mapeza's men appear to have mastered the art of grinding results in difficult situations. They also had to dig deep in their previous game at Bulawayo Chiefs where they mined an identical 1-0 win.
After a haphazard start to the campaign, the four-time champions look like they have found their form, scoring 23 times and conceding 10 goals.
FC Platinum now have 34 points to their name and a robust goal difference. All eyes will be on the platinum miners when they travel to Gweru this weekend to face TelOne at Bata.
Considering their form, chances of losing this game are minimal but even if they go ahead and lose, they are still likely to maintain their place at the top because of a healthy goal difference of 13 goals.
Manica Diamonds, who are in second place with 31 points, have a difference of seven goals.
The Gem Boys have the longest unbeaten run in the league this season following the goalless draw with Dynamos at Sakubva on Sunday.
They have not tasted defeat since the 0-1 loss to Ngezi Platinum Stars on April 1. Since then, they have stringed together nine wins and three draws against Highlanders, Yadah, and Dynamos.
The Gem Boys had a poor start to the season but they have been unstoppable after finding their groove. The same can also be said of defending champions Ngezi Platinum Stars, who have collected all 15 points in their last five outings.
The Mhondoro platinum miners, however, still need to cover more ground as they trail log leaders FC Platinum by seven points. Their 2-0 win over TelOne at the weekend took their tally to 27 points.
They have been buoyed by the availability of striker Obriel Chirinda who has been cleared to play for the team after spending the better part of the season on the sidelines due to a contract wrangle with Dynamos.
Chirinda has scored two goals in the two matches he has featured so far as a substitute.
He grabbed the winner as Ngezi Platinum ended Herentals' 10-match unbeaten run with a 2-1 result on Saturday. Takunda Benhura had scored the opener before Milton Chimedza levelled matters for Herentals. Ngezi Platinum Stars have been the most prolific team in the last five rounds of play after bagging a massive 11 games, which translates to over two goals per game.
But their resolve will be put to another test in the final round of the first-leg matches when they host giants CAPS United this weekend.
Makepekepe are among the giants that have found the going tough against the mining teams. They hopped into sixth place following the 2-1 win over new boys Chegutu Pirates at the weekend.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Lloyd Chitembwe's men have 22 points in the bag. They needed a brace from their chief marksman William Manondo to end a four-match winless run.
Giants Highlanders, who are just one place ahead of them also ended a lengthy winless run after edging Hwange 1-0, thanks to Marvin Sibanda's second-half strike. They now have 26 points. Fellow giants Dynamos are a distance ninth on 21 points. They trail log leaders FC Platinum by a massive 13 points as the season edges closer to the halfway mark.
The Harare Giants gave a good account in Mutare but their biggest let down has been their poor finishing. The future of coach Genesis Mangombe is getting complicated with each passing game after failing to win against teams that were not promoted this season.
DeMbare have only won against teams that were in Division One last season.
