We can hardly remember the last time we had this scenario in Zimbabwean football - Highlanders and Dynamos, arguably the country’s two largest teams by support base, taking the top two spots on the local Premiership log. With De-Mbare earning a point in a match against Shabanie Mine at Maglas stadium in Zvishavane yesterday, the country’s biggest football rivals find themselves occupying the top two positions on the log, ahead of their rescheduled match, reported to be set for May 25, Africa day. Bosso head the league with De-Mbare second, three points adrift. This is despite the fact that because of the postponed match, the two sides have played 1 less game than all of the other 14 league teams, perhaps underlining the gaff between them and the rest of the league.
The Highlanders-Dynamos match had been pencilled in for week 5, but was postponed as the latter was involved in continental duty, where they were humiliated 6 – 0 by African Club Champions, Esperance of Tunisia.
While Dynamos are the defending League Champions, it is the manner in which their erstwhile rivals have started the 2012 edition of the premiership season that has gotten many wondering if the good old days of Bossolona are back. Highlanders last won the league in 2006, before handing it over to Dynamos in 2007. DeMbare had to endure a four year wait before taking the title again last season, and one wonders if it’s their turn to hand the cup to Bosso this time around. Every Highlanders fan will salivate at the opportunity of dethroning DeMbare, and many can hardly wait for the epic clash at Emagumeni. It will be the perfect opportunity for Bosso to lay their credentials to the many doubting Thomases who are still not convinced, despite the side getting the better of Platinum Stars at its fortress in Zvishavane. By their performance last season, Platinum looked set to take over as the latest challengers to DeMbare’s long drawn dominance of local football, but the manner in which the youthful Bosso outfit shredded them to pieces clearly showed the Bulawayo’s pedigree, if they can maintain the form to the end of the season.
While Dynamos were busy on continental assignments, Highlanders have been sending strong signals with master class performances which have seen them bang 19 goals and remain the only unbeaten team in the league, after 6 matches. Bosso have so far only dropped two points, in a 1-1 draw with Mutare based army side Buffaloes, while DeMbare have already tasted defeat, suffering a 1 – 0 home loss to Monomotapa. That Bosso are struggling financially and had the most turbulent off season actually makes a mockery of the form the players have displayed on the field. This leaves us wondering if the old horse has come back to reclaim its stake as one of the most popular soccer outfits in the country? Only time will tell.
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