Ushe leads D1 monthly top goalscorer race

MOTO Moto striker Tatenda Ushe leads the race for the Southern Region Division One League’s Nokel Security Top Goal Scorer award for May with three goals going into the last match of the month.

Ushe, whose team takes on title chasing Makomo this afternoon in a Hwange derby, will be hoping to score. He will have to dig into his bag of tricks as Makomo, who are third on the table with 13 points, two behind leaders Tsholotsho, are keen to get maximum points to keep up with the top sides.

Grey Kufandada of Talen Vision won the April gong after scoring four goals.

Other players that are in the running for the May leading marksman award are Zim Leopards’ Marlvin Dube, former Chicken Inn striker Thomas Chimenya, who now turns out for ZPC Hwange, and Zibusiso Dambo of ZRP Bulawayo. The trio has two goals each.

Leopards are second from the bottom of the table and take on NRZ Leopards at Luveve Stadium this afternoon, with Dube expected to lead their search for their second win of the season, while Dambo’s ZRP Bulawayo are away to Main Line in Plumtree.

Chimenya will lead ZPC Hwange’s strike force when they take on winless new boys Toronto at Luveve Stadium.

Meanwhile, leaders Tsholotsho face tricky Indlovu Iyanyathela at Mzilikazi Barracks (formerly known as Brady Barracks). Indlovu Iyanyathela are coming from a 0-2 away loss to Mosi Rovers in Victoria Falls and will be hoping to hand Tsholotsho their first defeat of the season.

A fortnight ago, Indlovu Iyanyathela beat ZPC Hwange at Mzilikazi Barracks and Tsholotsho have to be cautious in their approach.

Second-placed Hwange will be at home to Talen Vision tomorrow. — @ZililoR History summary: Zambia won both of the first two editions of the Cosafa Cup, but it took until 2006 for them to claim their third regional title, after which they added a fourth in 2013.

They have a formidable record, having lost just eight times in 52 Cosafa Cup appearances, not counting defeat in post-match penalty shootouts.

They have also reached nine finals in all, making their conversion rate of four trophy wins slightly disappointing by the high standards the country sets for itself.

It was the annual Southern African championship that in 1999 forced Zambia to give up their 15-year unbeaten record at Lusaka’s Independence Stadium when Angola surprised them in the semi-final.

The same happened again in 2001, albeit only after a post-match penalty shootout and again in the 2004 final.

Zambia’s first two Cosafa Cup victories were