HARARE It appears the sun is setting for struggling national army side Black Rhinos, who are teetering on the verge of relegation from the Premier Soccer League.Rhinos suffered their 15th loss this season when champions Monomotapa handed them a 2-3 defeat at Baghdad Stadium in Kwekwe, killing any hopes they had of moving up the log standings to safety.
Coach Gishon Ntini, who has parted ways with Rhinos last week, told The Zimbabwean on Sunday that circumstances at the club had forced him to resign from his job. The nomadic coach admitted that there was little hope that the team would survive relegation at the end of the season.
There is not enough motivation at the team, the club has no sponsors. I sat down with them and suggested that they get a coach from within the army who is used to the environment. The salaries will not be acceptable to any civilian outside the army, said Ntini.
But to be realistic I dont see anything coming up in the few matches left.
The army side made a return to topflight football this season after suffering relegation in 2007 to spend last season in the lower division. But Rhinos risk being sent back to the unfashionable first division if they fail to collect at least 12 points from their last four matches.
The army men anchor the log table with just 19 points, six behind Underhill who are also staring relegation at position 15. If Underhill win all their remaining matches they would take their points tally to 31, which will leave Rhinos relying more on the form of the teams above them.
Rhinos will pray that Underhill, Njube Sundowns, Highway, Motor Action and Bantu Rovers lose their remaining matches so as not to exceed their targeted 31 points.
Njube Sundowns, who have amassed 26 points from as many matches, are the most likely candidates to join Underhill and Rhinos in the struggle to escape relegation when the Premiership resumes after the COSAFA Senior Challenge tournament.
Post published in: Zimbabwe Sports News