WITH 11 matches to play before the end of the season, half of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer
League is haunted by relegation.
The threat of relegation is looming for most of the teams in the PSL after Match Day 23.
While Black Rhinos and Cranborne Bullets who are at the bottom of the log seem odds-on favourite
to get the chop, Bulawayo Chiefs in eighth is equally in trouble.
The ambitious Bulawayo side is on 29 points, after defeating Dynamos 2-1 at Barbourfields Stadium
on Saturday. They might be far on the log positions but in terms of points, they are just five away
from Yadah who occupy the last relegation slot.
New boys Green Fuel who have made a dramatic surge up the ladder since the appointment of
Rodwell Dhlakama are also on 29 points and within the relegation matrix and so are PSL returnees
Hwange.
Fading Harare giants CAPS United are deep within the relegation fight as they are on 27 points,
together with ZPC Kariba.
Herentals in seventh on 35 points with 11 games to play seem safe, barring any unthinkable
happening but football being football you never know.
A look at the past few seasons shows that 38 points has generally been the safe mark to avoid
relegation.
Last season, Harare City the last to get relegated had 35 points. However, in 2019 Chapungu and
TelOne were all relegated despite notching 40 points apiece.
2018 the cut-off was 36 points when Nichrut, Bulawayo City, Mutare City, and Shabanie Mine kissed
goodbye to topflight football, while the year before that it was 38 points.
On the other end of the table, the teams have different aspirations as they target to win the league
title.
Highlanders finally remembered how to win after beating Yadah 2-0 at Barbourfields Stadium to
move back into second place, a point behind Ngezi Platinum Stars who thumped Green Fuel 3-0 last
Saturday.
Third-placed Manica Diamonds is keeping pace at the top after overcoming ZPC Kariba 2-0, while
Chicken Inn are fourth and defending champions FC Platinum are fifth as all have 37 points but are
separated by an inferior goal difference.
