Ngezi Platinum Stars . . . . . (0) 1
Bikita Minerals . . . . . . . . . (0) 1
Ngezi Platinum Stars coach Takesure Chiragwi seems to be waving the white flag on his team's title aspirations after they were held to a damaging draw by Bikita Minerals at Baobab Stadium yesterday.
The result, decided by two late penalties, left the former league champions 10 points adrift of the top spot with only nine games remaining.
The match remained deadlocked until the 70th minute when a breakthrough finally came for the home side.
Substitute Obriel Chirinda was fouled in the box, and veteran defender Qadr Amini coolly converted the resulting spot kick, firing low and to the keeper’s right.
However, the lead—and Ngezi's fortunes—were short-lived.
Just two minutes later, defender Brooklyn Katumba was shown a red card for a handball, leaving his side with 10 men.
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Then, deep in stoppage time, Bikita Minerals was awarded a penalty of their own after Tinaye Tsimba was impeded.
Defender Felix Moyo stepped up and slotted home, snatching a crucial point for the visitors.
The draw is a massive boost for Bikita Minerals in their fight against relegation, moving them up to 10th place with 29 points.
For Ngezi Platinum, however, the result is a significant blow to their hopes of retaining the Castle Lager Premier League title.
They now sit in sixth place with 40 points, trailing log leaders Simba Bhora by 10 points.
A visibly distraught Chiragwi appeared to have accepted his team’s fate after the final whistle.
In a post-match interview, he suggested that the title race may be out of their hands.
"We just need to accept what we got today," Chiragwi said. "Only God knows how far we are going. I think we did what we can and the result was 1-1.
“We just have to take it and move forward because we still have more games to play."
The coach also lamented the referee's decisions, believing the red card on Katumba and the penalty awarded to Bikita Minerals were too lenient.
When asked about the impact on the title race, Chiragwi’s response reflected a shift in focus.
"Obviously, there is no team that doesn't want to win the title," he said.
"But what determines that is how you collect the points because other teams at the top of us are collecting maximum points and they are going away from us.
“The main focus for us now is to make sure we just need to finish the season in a respectable position."
Meanwhile, Bikita Minerals coach Wilson Mutekede was happy with the point, even though he felt his team could have capitalised more on their one-man advantage.
"We had a fairly good game," Mutekede said. "Playing away from home and managing to get this draw, it's a very good result.
“That one point can make a huge difference. I remember last year when we survived relegation, we got a point from Ngezi."
Despite the lack of clear-cut chances for either side, it was Bikita Minerals who controlled the tempo of the game with their short-passing style.
The dramatic finish, however, ultimately defined the match, with both teams finding the net from the penalty spot in a result that could have major implications at both ends of the table.
