The Sunday News
Simba Dube and Ngqwele Dube
THERE is a popular belief among football pundits, that “strikers win matches while defenders win the championships”.
The adage has been adopted by a lot of teams in the soccer world to the extent that some teams even “park the bus” as they defend a solitary goal in order to ensure a win.
It appears the phenomenon has been embraced by Zifa Southern Region Division One League title contenders, Bulawayo City.
The second tier league reached its halfway mark last weekend with all teams having played 15 games each. Bulawayo City, who are in the maiden season in the league, have won 10 matches, drawn three and lost only two, a feat that has seen them leading with 33 points.
It is an impressive run that has certainly left a smile on the City Fathers who are eager to see the Bulawayo City Council-run team make it into the country’s elite league; but probably the biggest talking point of the team’s performance is the fact that they have only conceded just four goals.
Over the years, this sort of brilliance has been unthinkable in the game of football. But it is happening. One wonders whether Bulawayo City’s mantra is “concede less goals and walk away with the bacon!”
Although no one knew at that moment and time, City’s clean sheet fairytale was firstly recited when they held Bulawayo premiership giants Highlanders to a nil-all draw in a pre-season match.
Formed as a social club for security guards based at Luveve Parade Base, and being “just” a Bulawayo Amateur Football League team in 2012, a Zifa provincial Division Three league side in 2013, a year in which they gained promotion to Division Two, City are odds on PSL promotional favourites just half-way through their maiden season.
On the City’s bench is the 2008 Premier Soccer League coach of the year Philani “Beefy” Ncube, and his presence makes it easy to narrate the club’s quick success story as he is one of the most experienced football mentors in the country.
By maintaining a flying start in the first half of the season, the club has mirrored its PSL promotion intentions and also considering the fewer goals conceded, this, therefore, points to the team’s strongest link, their defensive line.
Fortifying his defence line with former PSL players, Beefy is evidently a firm believer in the notion that there is always no substitute for experience.
Former Highlanders right back Bruce Tshuma, Terrance Majo, previously with How Mine have been consistent in defence with Zibusiso Sibanda and Phelius Sibanda making the rest of the back four while Ndodana Sibanda, who has donned the Highlanders jersey as well as stints in Swaziland, is the man in-between the goalposts.
Perhaps being able to pick a line-up with “tried and tested” players makes Bulawayo City an experienced team in the First Division league.
Casmyn were the first to breach Bulawayo City’s impregnable defence to register a 1-0 victory and the real shocker was their 3-0 loss to the Hwange-based side, Technosphere.
Ndodana Sibanda has so far proved vital, passing the challenge with flying colours has pulled off match winning saves in succession, achieving the most vital goalkeeping assignment, clean sheets.
It would be unfair to hail only the defence for the team’s good performance. Upfront the strikers have conjured live-wire performances, virtually turning the pitch to a hell for the opposition defenders, scoring goal after goal. The result, City has the highest number of scores in the league with 22 goals.
City’s assistant coach, Farai Mujokoro pointed out that the outstanding performance of the team was due to team effort and a desire for PSL promotion.
“Credit is given to the whole team’s effort, not only the defenders as the whole team is targeting the title at the end of the season,” said Mujokoro.
Despite a notable difference in competitiveness between the PSL and Division One leagues, in terms of goal conceding record there is no single team that can match the record of the log leaders of the Southern Region Division One league.
If City makes it to the country’s top football league, it will become the second local authority side after Harare City to play in the PSL and it would be crystal clear that their defensive wall would have won them the PSL promotion if the situation continues like this.
