SIMBA Bhora coach Tonderai Ndiraya is banking on the experience in his squad to carry the team over the line in this season’s race for the title.
The Shamva-based team are on the cusp of glory as they hold a seven-point lead at the top of the log standings with six matches remaining.
They held champions Ngezi Platinum Stars to a goalless draw on Saturday, gaining a point that Ndiraya described as “very important”.
With 18 points left on offer, Simba Bhora need to win four matches to win their maiden league title, without having to worry about how their rivals fare.
Ndiraya believes his squad has what it takes to repel any challenge in the title run-in.
“The quality in the squad is there for everyone to see. We have a very good squad, full of quality. But the most important thing is that we have experienced guys in the squad who know exactly what needs to be done for us to get over the line,” he said.
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“We have players in the squad who have won the title before, while others have been playing for some time now.
“Some of the current players also helped this team to win league promotion so they are not new to this kind of pressure. They know how to deal with it.”
Some of the players that Ndiraya is looking up to include his skipper Walter Musona, who has won the championship with FC Platinum and defender Patson Jaure, who clinched the title with Dynamos.
The former Dynamos captain has been relegated to the bench of late, but his influence in the squad is said to be big.
Other seasoned campaigners in the squad are veteran goalkeeper Talbert Shumba, Blessing Moyo, Webster Chafa, Gift Saunyama, Tichaona Chipunza and Perfect Chikwende, who also won the league title with FC Platinum.
“We expect them to guide the youngsters in the team,” Ndiraya said.
The former Ngezi Platinum Stars coach remains cautious about his team’s chances of winning the title despite carrying what appears a healthy advantage.
Three teams remain with a realistic chance to win the title.
FC Platinum remain the biggest threat to Simba Bhora’s ambitions.
The Zvishavane-based side beat Highlanders at the weekend to slash the gap on Ndiraya’s men.
Defending champions Ngezi Platinum, who have two games in hand, are mathematically still with a chance to retain the title although they will need an extraordinary sequence of results to go their way for them to successfully defend their crown.
The Takesure Chiragwi-coached side are 14 points behind the log leaders and might need to win all their matches and pray that the top two collapse for them to stand any chance.
Simba Bhora host Chicken Inn at their fortress, Wadzanayi Stadium, on Saturday in a match that they need to win to keep the platinum miners at an arm’s length.
The game begins a series of tough matches that Ndiraya’s team has to navigate through to reach the promised land.
After Chicken Inn, they travel to Harare to face Herentals before welcoming Caps United.
Simba Bhora then travel to Arenel Movers before hosting FC Platinum in the penultimate match of the season. They will conclude their campaign against ZPC, hoping that by the time they travel to Kariba, they would have done the job.
“The point we got [against Ngezi Platinum Stars] was very important. It will help us going forward,” Ndiraya said.
“We just have to make sure that when we go back home, we do our normal business. We collect maximum points. Teams that we are going to be playing are not easy [prey].
“We will face good teams, so we need to trade carefully to make sure that we collect points. Every point at this stage of the season is very important.”
FC Platinum’s last six matches start with a tough trip to the Colliery on Sunday to face relegation-threatened Hwange before a home tie against Khama Billiat’s Yadah.
The Norman Mapeza-coached side have another tough trip to Dynamos and then host Bulawayo Chiefs before the game in Shamva, which could be the title decider.
They conclude their campaign away to TelOne. For Ngezi Platinum Stars, their last six matches include three clashes against teams fighting relegation.
The fixture list has TelOne, Chegutu Pirates, Bikita Minerals, Chicken Inn, Herentals and Caps United.
But first they have to deal with their backlog of matches against Dynamos and Hwange.
Matchday 29 fixtures
Saturday: TelOne v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Ascot), Simba Bhora v Chicken Inn (Wadzanayi), Bulawayo Chiefs v Herentals (Luveve), Yadah v Arenel Movers (Heart), GreenFuel v Manica Diamonds (GreenFuel Arena)
Sunday: Chegutu Pirates v Bikita Minerals (Baobab), Dynamos v Caps United (Rufaro), Hwange v FC Platinum (Colliery), Highlanders v ZPC Kariba (Barbourfields)