Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THERE was an unusual hush in the streets of Harare at the end of the Castle Lager Premiership weekend games, despite the fact that one of the league’s biggest fixtures — the Harare Derby — is on the horizon.
The silence was sponsored by Bulawayo teams Chicken Inn and Bulawayo Chiefs, who inflicted significant blows on the build-up of the blockbuster fixture.
Makepekepe, who have been flying high this season, were stunned 0-1 at home by Bulawayo Chiefs at Rufaro on Saturday.
Then, DeMbare’s proud 20-match league unbeaten run, which stretched 10 months from last season, was ended following a 1-2 defeat at Chicken Inn on Sunday, plunging both teams into a period of honest soul-searching this week. The situation could have been different had both Dynamos and CAPS United won their games at the weekend. But the Harare Derby has always stood the test of time in spite of the results. This is going to be a big test of character for the two football giants of Harare.
Dynamos coach Genesis Mangombe said they will engage psychologists this week to psyche up their players ahead of the clash with one of their sworn football nemeses.
Mangombe lamented the defeat at Chicken Inn but maintained the focus has since shifted to the upcoming clash with Makepekepe.
“It was a bad result for us,” he said.
“We need to go out and psyche up the boys. The good thing is that the team we are going to play is also coming from a loss. We are all coming from losses. “But we have to work with psychologists to psyche up the boys so that they dust off, freshen up and we move forward.”
Interestingly, Chicken Inn were the last team to beat Dynamos in July 2025. Now under the tutelage of a former Dynamos player and coach Tonderai Ndiraya, the Gamecocks returned to haunt the Glamour Boys courtesy of two first-half goals from Malawian Binwell Katinji.
Veteran forward Moses Demera, who made a rare start for DeMbare this season, scored the consolation in-between the two Chicken Inn strikes. DeMbare coach Mangombe, however, insisted the Derby is a different ball game.
“Like we always say, every game is different so your application is also different. But I cannot run away from the positives that I saw like creating chances and being forceful.
“But at the end of the day what we are crying about is we failed to capitalise on collecting maximum points,” said Mangombe.
There is divided opinion among the Dynamos fans, who apparently are not yet united on the direction their team is taking under Mangombe this season, despite a promising start.
Cumulatively, Dynamos have not won in their previous four matches following draws with FC Platinum, Scottland and ZPC Kariba.
The Glamour Boys plunge into the Derby sitting in fifth place with 17 points from 10 starts. But Makepekepe still hold the psychological advantage. Despite suffering defeat at the weekend, CAPS United still have their lead at the top of the table to protect after maintaining their place with 22 points.
Green Machine coach Takesure Chiragwi was distraught after the defeat to Bulawayo Chiefs, which slashed the gap between them and the chasing pack to just one point after Hardrock’s 6-1 thrashing of FC Hunters.
Chiragwi still backed his boys to bounce from the shock home defeat to Bulawayo Chiefs.
“I think we did very well in that match,” he said. “It’s unfortunate the result was not on our side, but at the end of the day we just need to appreciate good performance.
“We lost the game, it’s normal, but what is important is how we come out of this situation and make sure we turn a good performance into winning ways,” said Chiragwi.
Fixtures:
Saturday: FC Hunters v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Heart Stadium), MWOS v Chicken Inn (Ngoni), FC Platinum v Scottland (Mandava), TelOne v Hardrock (Ascot), Simba Bhora v ZPC Kariba (Wadzanayi), Bulawayo Chiefs v Herentals (Barbourfields), Manica Diamonds v AGAMA (Sakubva)
Sunday: Highlanders v Triangle (Barbourfields), Dynamos v CAPS United (Rufaro)
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