NGEZI Platinum Stars coach Takesure Chiragwi is calling for consistency from his players as the former league champions eye a stronger second half of the season to close the gap on log leaders Simba Bhora.
The Mhondoro-based side currently sits fifth on the log standings with 25 points, 10 adrift of the defending league champions.
Chiragwi's men wrapped up the first half of the league marathon in style last week, delivering a dominant performance to break MWOS's unbeaten run with a resounding 3-1 victory.
The result not only marked MWOS’s first loss in 17 matches, but also saw the Norton-based side surrender the top spot at the halfway stage of the 2025 season.
It was a dominant display from the 2023 league champions, and with more precision, they could have easily netted more goals on the day.
It was also the first time this season that Ngezi Platinum Stars had scored three goals in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match, much to Chiragwi's satisfaction.
He now wants his team to continue converting their dominance into decisive wins.
Ahead of Kwekwe United's visit to Baobab tomorrow, Chiragwi addressed his side's fluctuating form this season.
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"We haven't been consistent in scoring, not in performance. We are not consistent in scoring, so that has been our biggest challenge," he said.
"We were only scoring maybe one goal, and then we conceded and ended up dropping points. I think we tried to rectify that, and we managed to get more goals. You see, against MWOS we should have scored maybe four or five."
Indeed, the former league champions have shown flashes of brilliance, often dominating possession and creating numerous chances.
Yet, their inability to convert those opportunities into decisive wins has been a source of frustration.
Seven draws from 17 matches attest to this struggle, while their four losses have all been by a narrow one-goal margin.
"Our performance lately and results were not good enough, because we had a very good performance, but unfortunately, the results were not coming the way we wanted."
However, the dominant display against MWOS has injected a renewed sense of optimism into the Ngezi camp.
Chiragwi sees it as a turning point, a sign that "God's time" has arrived for his team to find their scoring boots.
"God's time is very, very important. So, I think this is God's time to start scoring goals, and I hope we continue with this," he said.
The second half of the season, as Chiragwi emphasises, is "the most important part of the league."
It demands unwavering consistency – not just in winning games and performance, but crucially, in not conceding goals.
"You can see the league this season is very difficult, so we need to be very serious and make sure we can concentrate and focus more every game that we're playing, because it's not going to be easy."
Tomorrow's encounter against Kwekwe United, a team languishing at the bottom of the table with a mere eight points and the league's most porous defence (a staggering 34 goals conceded), might seem like an opportune moment for Ngezi Platinum Stars to rack up both points and goals.
Yet, Chiragwi remains grounded, wary of complacency.
"It's going to be difficult, like all the other games that we've played. We will need to be very, very focused," he cautioned.
Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matchday 18 fixtures.
Tomorrow: TelOne v Herentals (Ascot), ZPC Kariba v Dynamos (Nyamhunga), FC Platinum v Simba Bhora (Mandava), Yadah v Manica Diamonds (Heart), Bikita Minerals v Chicken Inn (Gibbo), Ngezi Platinum Stars v Kwekwe United (Baobab).
Sunday: Highlanders v MWOS (Barbourfields), Caps United v GreenFuel (Rufaro), Triangle v Scottland (Gibbo)
