Every Friday, Zimsoccerfan previews what we consider to be the weekend’s major attraction in terms of local football.
They don’t come any bigger than this! Highlanders vs. Dynamos is a big issue and this weekend’s affair will be no different. The two sides are the bitterest of rivals and will be happy to renew the rivalry come 3 O’clock Sunday afternoon. This is the kind of game that sets brother against brother, husband Vs. Wife and drive wedges between friends, if only for 90 minutes.
The Setting
Bosso have been having a season to forget this season. They lost part one of the battle easily, and were also on a losing cause when the Banc ABC Super Cup Semi final between the two sides was abandoned at the same venue some few weeks ago. The incident filled game was abandoned in the second half due to many reasons, among them walks off the field by both sets of players at different intervals of the game as the ref awarded dubious penalties. A disciplinary committee set up by the Premier Soccer League management committee found Bosso on the wrong and awarded the game to De Mbare, but the Bulawayo giants have taken the case to the High court, stopping the epic final that was to pit De Mbare against bitter rivals Caps United.
One hopes that events of the last match will not fuel further tension in the terraces on Sunday. The match needs to run its full course and may the best side win.
It’s an understatement to say Highlanders have been disappointing this season. They problems seem to compound each week with news of player revolt due to unpaid salaries. Despite the fact that Dynamos have somehow become comfortable playing Highlanders at B/F, the stadium no longer had the intimidating Lions’ Den atmosphere of previous years.
Although they have been going through rebuilding exercise, many Highlanders fans will not take lightly to losing against their erstwhile Harare rivals, more so at B/F, so the team will be under pressure to raise their game. Fans will be hoping Captain Gilbert Banda will forget the horror of missing a penalty in the ill fated Cup game, and will be hoping youngsters Protrasia Kabwe and Bruce Kangwa will raise their game. In the reverse fixture at Rufaro, veterans Stephen Alimenda and Joe Luphalha were outstanding for Mantengwane, but both have been lured by the green side of the capital, Caps United.
Dynamos, although not very convincing in their play, find themselves lying second on the PSL log, 10 points behind Motor Action and with 3 games in hand. They will be hard pressed to get a result at B/F to keep pressure on the Might Bulls, who themselves have a tricky assignment against former Champions Monomotapa at Rufaro 24 hours earlier. If the Might Bulls win, pressure will be on Elvis “Chuchu” Chiweshe’s men to also chalk up 3 points, else they can start kissing the Championship good bye.
DeMbare’s problem, ever since the departure of Cuthbert Malajila has been scoring. This saw them manage only 2 goals in the group stages of the Orange CAF Champions league group stages. The fans in Blue and White will be looking to the likes of Benjamin Marere, Evans Gwekwerere, Wonder Sithole and Dylan Chivandire to provide the sucker puches. Marere has been playing well either on the wing, or a s a cntral striker, but cant complement his dribbling skills and trickery with the goal scoring touch. Gwekwerere has had his moments at B/F, especially in the 2006 season when he broke many Bosso hearts with a hat trick against Zimbabwe Saints which saw him peep then Bosso wonderboy Ralph Mathema to that month’s top scorer award. Given the pathetic shows he has been givng since returning from an ill fated sojourn down south, we doubt if he will have such an enigma again on Sunday.
The Difference Makers
One thing that has really been lacking for Highlanders this season has been that Adam or Peter Ndlovu or Zenzo Moyo kind of player they used to have. The match winners. The one player who no matter how much the chips appear to be down, will pick the game and almost out of thin air, conjure up something that bags the points. Its hard to pick such a player in the current line up. Yes, you would expect captain Banda to lead from the back, but to really expect one of their youngsters to conjure up something special upfront, especially against the rock solid defence of Guthrie Zhokinyu and George Magariro, seems to be asking for too much.
Ironically, De Mbare also not expected to have much fire power upfront. They might have the names, but that’s all they have. Names. Gwekwerere has totally failed to find the touch of 2006 which made him a household name in an unforgettable 3 or 4 month period donning the famous blue and white. Dylan Chivandire at Dynamos is miles apart from the same player at Sundowns.
If anything is to be expected from De Mbare, it might come from midfield, where Marere and skipper Desmond Maringwa (if he starts) will be patrolling. If he maintain his head, Ashley “Compressor” Rambanepasi will be Chuchu’s trump card, and might just be the difference maker De Mbare will need.
At the end of the day...
Like we have written elsewhere, we do not think that this match will produce a winner. It may live up to the billing, but we think it will just have too much tension for any side to allow the other to play. The two coaches will emphasize on defence, which happen to be the two sides’ strengths anyway, and will be a goalless affair.
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