Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
GREENFUEL FC chairman, Fred Moyo and their head coach, Saul Chaminuka, are not losing sleep over the probability of their team being relegated from the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League as they are actually relishing realistic prospects of attaining a top five slot at the end of the 2024 season.
The Ethanol Boys or Boys DzeNharo, as they are interchangeably referred to by their passionate fans in the Lowveld, ended the season on 10th position in their debut Premiership season last year.
This year, the Chipinge-based Castle Lager Premiership outfit, bankrolled by ethanol magnate, Billy Rautenbach, is aiming higher.
Even though GreenFuel are currently in a precarious 14th position on the log table and above the drop zone, their top five finish dream is not farfetched.
During the same period last season, GreenFuel FC were number 16 on the log table, and went on to win two matches which changed the complexion of the log standings as they ended the season on the 10th position.
This time around with 30 points at stake in the remaining 10 rounds of league matches, the Rautenbach-financed outfit can still achieve their set target, which is, not only mathematical, but realistically possible.
“I think we are still in a position to achieve what we have set ourselves to achieve by the end of the season, which is to attain a top five finish. We still have 30 points to play for, and a lot of things can happen in these 10 remaining matches,” said Moyo.
On the other hand, Chaminuka acknowledged that his team is currently lying in a precarious position on the log table.
He, however, expressed optimism that the team has what it takes to evade the dreaded relegation chop at the end of the season.
The former Eastern Lions and Buffaloes gaffer is counting on his team’s current form, in which they have lost once in six outings, to see them through, and attain the goal they set for themselves at the beginning of the season.
“Well, about survival, we are currently in a very precarious position, but we are not panicking. The team has greatly improved. We had a single loss in the last six league matches.
“We have no doubt that we will survive relegation. Myself and the players do not want to be remembered here in Chipinge as the group that took the team back to Division One. Therefore, we will do all it takes to remain in the Premiership,” he said.
The shrewd football tactician said every point now counts, and they will, therefore be all out to collect as many points as they possibly can in the remaining matches.
“We are now in the final phase of the league marathon where every point counts, and for us we have had far too many draws. We now need to finish off our opponents and collect maximum points. We need to score goals, and we are capable of doing that,” said Chaminuka.
TelOne, Hwange, Chegutu Pirates and Arenel Movers currently make up the list of the teams in the relegation zone.
