Who needs what to beat the drop?
Three games left. Four relegation places to be filled. Eight possible contenders.
STREAM A
In Stream One, looks like Five teams are in the fight to avoid the drop starting from Green Buffaloes down to Prison Leopards .
Green Buffaloes
They need one win from the three to count themselves out of trouble. They go away to ZANACO and play Kitwe United at home before a crucial away trip to Mufulira Wanderers . Green Buffaloes are playing two teams in games where at least one of them will be relegated, possibly both.
Nalambala Leoaords
Have Prison Leopards , Red Arrows and Lusaka Dynamos to survive . Two home games and one away to Nkoloma Stadium. One win though not conclusive, could be enough to survive but the comfort zone could be a win and draw. Remember we may have differerent pointers just this coming weekend.
Mufulira Wanderers
Can no longer manage a loss after that huge win at home to Nakambala Leopards and they set up to go to Kabwe and play the draw specialists. They need two wins to be safe without looking at what will be around them. After Kabwe they play two games at home against Green Buffaloes and ZANACO. Mufulira Wanderers needs big wins against these three big clubs. They have the toughest run.
Kitwe United
Any drop of points clears Green Buffaloes out of the fight of relegation hence reducing the number of teams fighting relegation. Kitwe United tied on 10 points with Prison Leopards will have to do something special to survive. Lusaka Dynamos, Green Buffaloes and ZESCO United all in waiting. It looks very impossible to survive but then this is what makes football what it is. Its crazy game
Prison Leopards
Away to Nakambala Leopards, at home to Kabwe Warriors and away to ZANACO. That means playing two teams that would be fighting for CAF slots. That trip to Nakambala is not an easy one as well. I think the curtains are closing here.
STREAM B
So, what’s at stake?
The bottom half of stream B has been separated by fine margins for much of the season. As I write this with three games to play, no side in the bottom four are yet mathematically safe. That includes Nkana, Lunwana Radiants, Circuit City and of course MUZA.
Its worse for MUZA whose fate will be sealed with any points collected by Nkana. Its clear MUZA is going down. Circuit City will have to battle it with Lumwana Radiants as their catch up victim for another team to join MUZA in National Division One.
Lumwana Radiants
Play MUZA this coming weekend and they can officially send the Mazabuka outfit to division one . Should they win that one and Circuit City lose at home to Green Eagles , then the cards will be clear in this stream. Otherwise after that Lumwana Radiants will have to negotiate survival against Green Eagles and Nkwazi who are all fighting for CAF.
MY THOUGHTS
Stream B is clear as MUZA and Circuit City will be dropped to National Division One unless a shocker dawns on us.
Stream A has a longer story and it now looks tough for Kitwe United and Prison Leopards . I don’t know if we shall still have twists but this looks like a written book that doesn’t need extra lessons. Let’s see when we get there.