Simba Bhora’s boosted their chances of clinching the 2024 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) championship by beating CAPS United 2-1 in an exhilarating match at Wadzanai Stadium on Saturday.
Despite being reduced to 10 men in the 55th minute and having their 1-0 lead cancelled four minutes later, the Tonderai Ndiraya-coached side showed resilience.
The man of the match, Vasilli Kawe, scored the equalising goal and provided a crucial assist, helping Simba Bhora extend their lead to 63 points, nine points clear of second-placed FC Platinum, who lost to Dynamos on Sunday.
Kawe scored in the 40th minute after being set up by captain Walter Musona, wrong-footing keeper Ashley Reyners.
Despite a hamstring injury, Reyners remained in the game and conceded the goal before being substituted.
CAPS United, motivated by a promise of US$1,000 each for a win, equalised in the 59th minute through Jayden Bakare’s header from an Eric Manokore freekick.
Earlier, CAPS United’s Harrison Masina received a second yellow card for a late tackle.
Simba Bhora found the winning goal in the 74th minute through Tymon Machope’s header from a Kawe cross.
Simba Bhora have an impressive home record since March, with 13 wins and three draws in 16 matches.
Speaking after the game, Ndiraya said that their focus is on the next match and maintaining their lead ahead of the crucial encounter with FC Platinum in the penultimate game of the season. Said Ndiraya:
The idea is for us to focus on the next game. But I don’t want to lie that we are not focusing on crossing the line. The idea is to maintain the six-point gap until we get to the FC Platinum game.
We knew we were up for a very tough task today, especially coming from defeats in the Cup and against Herentals.
Simba Bhora faced CAPS United while still reeling from a disappointing loss to Herentals in the league.
In their following match, they were eliminated from the Chibuku Super Cup by Ngezi Platinum Stars.
Looking ahead, Simba Bhora face relegated Arenel Movers in Bulawayo midweek. They will return home to host FC Platinum at Wadzanai Stadium, before wrapping up the season with a challenging game against ZPC Kariba.
More: Pindula News