Can Bosso break 9-year jinx?

Simba Dube
WHEN the referee blows the whistle at 3pm today to ignite an age old football duel, arguably the oldest and fiercest in this country’s, the nation will once again be engulfed in overwhelming air of anticipation.
The soccer-mad nation will for 90 minutes be divided into two halves-this battle has no room for neutrals.
Be it a league match or a cup game, whenever Highlanders take on perennial nemesis Dynamos, the football gods will look down and testify that “It doesn’t get any better than this.’’ And as usual the pundits and fans will concur.

Dubbed as the Battle of Zimbabwe, the rivalry between the nation’s biggest clubs is somehow at par with the world’s greatest football rivalries — Barcelona versus Real Madrid in the La Liga, Manchester United against Liverpool in the EPL and Kaiser Chiefs pitted against Orlando Pirates just across the Limpopo.

As it stands little separates the two when it comes to points; Highlanders are placed eighth on the log standings with 19 points while Dynamos are third with 23 points.

This battle is hardly about points, but pride and bragging rights. It has taken Highlanders close to a decade to beat Dynamos. And Umantengwane can only recall beating DeMbare in 2006, ironically that was the last year they won the country’s most coveted trophy, the Premier Soccer League title.

And that was in July 2006 when Bosso was under the guidance of Methembe Ndlovu, and since then defeating DeMbare has been an uphill task for Bosso with the best result being a draw.

Since 2006 the two clubs have clashed 18 times with DeMbare having the most laughs. History favours Dynamos, and this puts the Harare giants under pressure to maintain that run.

But Highlanders’ should take solace in the fact that he who laughs last laughs the LOUDEST.
But in the modern game of football there are no prizes for history and today’s match will come with its own uniqueness, yet the rivalry which never left remains.

The last time that these two clashed was in a Gushungo Victory Cup at the National Sports Stadium, the match ended 3-2 in a penalty lottery in favour of the blue half.

In all honesty during most of their meetings Bosso largely had the better of their traditional enemy but lady-luck ends up smiling at the Harare giants. But there is still hope; if only Bosso make their chances count.

During his stint on the Zimbabwe Saints bench, Bongani Mafu (now with Bosso) plotted one of the biggest upsets in the PSL history when his the-then side defeated Dynamos 3-0.

“If only Mafu can repeat his magic,” so prays the Bosso family. After all the man who has been nicknamed Mafukidze, has declared “Ngeke sidliwe yiDeMbare.”

With him now behind the Highlanders steering wheel, the multitude of the Bosso supporters can believe, after all that killer instinct that has been in their DNA in the yesteryears can be rekindled?

But due to the two teams’ inconsistent performances both gaffers are living on borrowed time.
So a win for either side will throw a lifeline to both Yogi and Mafu, while a loss might pile immense pressure on the losing coach’s shoulders and the grumbling from the terraces will definitely increase tenfold.

That’s the price you pay these days for not winning crucial matches.
On away games Bosso has been yielding better results, in their last four away matches the Bulawayo giants have lost only once to Chicken Inn, pocketed the maximum points twice against the newcomers Dongo Sawmills and Flame Lilly and also secured a point at the FC Platinum backyard.

This is a streak that the Bulawayo giants are desperately hoping for, especially in today’s clash.
As all the players are coming from a two-week long break, the match therefore promises to be eye-pleasing as it has been known for keeping the fans on the edge of their seats. It is also more about the bragging rights.

However, in some sections of the media Mafu has been mute about the match as he justifies his silence as a move to avoid planting pressure on his players.

“I don’t want to discuss it now. I want to play the match first. I would rather not talk about that match,” said Mafu.