All eyes on Harare: Dynamos and CAPS United battle for city supremacy

WITH several intriguing match-ups on tap for Castle Lager Premier Soccer League week 12, all eyes will undoubtedly be fixed on the capital for the Harare derby as CAPS United hosts arch-rivals Dynamos at Rufaro Stadium tomorrow.

Saturday Chronicle previews some of the “can’t-miss” encounters on match day 12.

Dynamos vs CAPS United

Adding to the excitement, the derby returns to its spiritual home, Rufaro Stadium. The venue underwent renovations to meet Premiership standards after being closed for several years.

Dynamos have recently held the upper hand against CAPS United, securing a double victory over their city rivals last season. DeMbare triumphed 1-0 in the first leg before repeating the feat with a 2-0 win in the return match.

The Glamour Boys’ coach, Genesis Mangombe, hopes to extend this dominance come Sunday afternoon.

“It’s always good to play these derbies but you know these derbies come with unpredictable results. We are trying our best to prepare. We are preparing in every area to try and make sure that at the end of the day, we win this game.

“We need to do everything to get a result. We will try our best to make sure that we also convert the chances we are creating because you see that in every game we are creating a lot of chances but we are failing to finish them off,” said Mangombe.

ZPC Kariba v Highlanders

Ahead of today’s crucial clash against ZPC Kariba, Highlanders coach Kelvin Kaindu acknowledges the pressure mounting on his team due to their recent winless streak. He stresses the need for his players to step up and secure points.

However, the task won’t be a straightforward one. Highlanders haven’t secured an away victory at ZPC Kariba since their promotion back to the Premier League in 2014. Kaindu is well aware of the significant challenges they face in Kariba.

“These are tricky opponents. When you are playing a team like them, they are dangerous because they have nothing to lose. Our biggest challenge will be complacency when playing teams like these away from home and also the distance that we have to cover,” said Kaindu.

Highlanders’ recent struggles against ZPC Kariba are concerning. In their last two visits to Kariba, they’ve been shut out, failing to score a single goal in either match. Historically, Bosso’s record at Kariba is uneven — four draws in eight meetings, but ZPC Kariba has also emerged victorious four times.

Chicken Inn v Simba Bhora

Simba Bhora’s title aspirations face a stern test tomorrow as they travel to Luveve Stadium to face Chicken Inn. Historically, the match-up hasn’t been kind to the visitors. In their two previous encounters, Simba Bhora has failed to register a win or even a goal against the Gamecocks, losing both matches 1-0 last season.

Furthermore, Simba Bhora’s recent away trips to Bulawayo haven’t yielded any points, falling to both Bulawayo Chiefs and Highlanders. They desperately need a change in fortunes if they want to stay in the title race.

Meanwhile, Chicken Inn are not exactly firing on all cylinders either. They have been winless in their last three league fixtures, drawing twice (0-0 against Dynamos and Bulawayo Chiefs) and losing once (2-1 to Yadah).

Coach Joey Antipas attributes these results to a dip in team confidence, which they will need to address before the crucial clash against Simba Bhora.

Fixtures:

Today:

Ngezi Platinum v TelOne (Baobab Stadium), Bikita Minerals v Chegutu Pirates (Sakubva), Herentals v Bulawayo Chiefs (Rufaro), Arenel v Yadah (Luveve Stadium), FC Platinum v Hwange (Mandava Stadium), ZPC Kariba v Highlanders (Nyamhunga).

Tomorrow:

Chicken Inn v Simba Bhora (Luveve), CAPS United v Dynamos (Rufaro), Manica Diamonds v Green Fuel (Sakubva Stadium). -@innocentskizoe