Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze ,Zimpapers Sports Hub
WHEN Kelvin Kaindu walks out at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday, he will stand at the heart of one of the season’s most fascinating storylines, a coach facing the very team he built.
Just six months ago, the Zambian tactician called that same stadium home. Now, he returns in Dynamos colours, knowing his fate could define not only his current club’s survival but also the destiny of his former employers, Highlanders.
This is no ordinary “Battle of Zimbabwe.” It’s a survival fight, with both giants uncomfortably close to the drop zone, separated by just two points. Highlanders sit ninth, while Dynamos linger in 14th.
If Kaindu wins, he drags Bosso deeper into danger. If he loses, his DeMbare side could slip back into relegation trouble.
“It’s a big game for both teams, two points separating us, which makes it interesting,” Kaindu said. “We just hope that from what we are doing, we get our targets right on the day. Facing my former team obviously comes with a bit of emotion, but I’m now a Dynamos coach and I want to focus on what Dynamos can do.”
Across the touchline will be Dutchman Pieter “Champ” De Jongh, who inherited a Highlanders squad largely assembled by Kaindu himself. When the Zambian left midway through the season, Bosso were ninth with 23 points, five wins, eight draws, and four defeats.
That record showed a team strong defensively but struggling to score enough to turn draws into victories.
Kaindu knows their DNA intimately, a potential edge heading into Sunday’s clash. “If our game plan works for us on the day, it will be an advantage because I have more information about the players there,” he said. “I can go from player number one to the last, their strengths and weaknesses, how they perform home or away. But it’s what happens on the day that matters. If our players come to the party, it will be good for us.”
Since his mid-season arrival at Dynamos, Kaindu has steadied the ship impressively. DeMbare are unbeaten in five matches, collecting 11 of a possible 15 points through three wins and two draws. Highlanders, in that same stretch, have earned six points, one win, three draws, and a loss.
Yet history isn’t kind to the Harare giants. The last time they beat Highlanders in open play was back in 2017. They were awarded a 3–0 victory in 2023 after an abandoned match, but Bosso responded with back to back wins last year before a goalless draw earlier this season.
Kaindu is determined to end that run. “If you look at the games we’ve played since mid-season, we haven’t dropped maximum points,” he said. “Picking up from where we left off is key. We’re still in a compromised position, so we must maintain our rhythm and keep scoring. Once we get our tactics right, we’re home and dry.”
He knows what awaits him at Barbourfields, a hostile crowd that can rattle even the most experienced players. “We need to know who to remove and who to put in when we play on Sunday because the BF atmosphere can be ruthless,” he said. “The crowd can influence how an individual or a team performs. We must stay composed, play our game, and keep picking points. One match can change everything. We just hope we don’t slip back into relegation because only a few games remain.”
For Kaindu, this isn’t just another fixture. It’s a personal test, a reunion, and a reckoning, all rolled into one. He built Highlanders to be difficult to beat. Now, he must find a way to beat them himself.
