admin
Grace Chingoma and Eddie Chikamhi
HARARE City don’t only have their destiny in their hands but fate also appears to be in their corner in their battle to win their maiden Castle Lager Premiership crown when the domestic league programme closes with a Super Sunday this weekend.
Bigboy Mawiwi and his men simply need to win their match against CAPS United, who have nothing but their pride to play for, to be crowned champions and push giants Dynamos and Highlanders into the shade on Super Sunday.
The Sunshine Boys turned on a masterclass at Rufaro on Sunday to destroy Highlanders 4-0 and with Dynamos battling to secure a point in a 2-2 draw against Chicken Inn at Barbourfields on the same day, Mawiwi and his men took full control of the race with just one game to play.
And fate appears to be favouring them, too, as the red colour of their kit has become synonymous with the so-called small teams, from the capital, who have managed to win the league championship in recent years.
Monomotapa, Gunners and Motor Action, who won the championship in succession from 2008 to 2010, all used the same red strip that Harare City have adopted as their team colours since coming into the Premiership last season.
On all occasions, as could be the case again this year, Dynamos were runners-up.
Monomotapa, who use red and white as their first-choice kit, claimed the championship under the guidance of former Warriors midfielder Norman Mapeza and the following year they had an amazing run in the Champions League, reaching the mini-league phase of the tournament.
Gunners needed only two seasons in the top-flight league to be crowned champions, under the guidance of Moses Chunga, in 2009, completing the season five points clear of Dynamos, which could be the case for Harare City if they win their last game and the Glamour Boys fall in their final tie against Black mambas.
The following year it was Motor Action’s turn as the Mighty Bulls edged Dynamos on goal difference after the teams had finished tied on 66 points, helped to a large extent by their 4-2 humiliation of CAPS United, in their penultimate match of the season, at the National Sports Stadium.
On that afternoon, a section of the CAPS United fans celebrated every goal that the Mighty Bulls scored.
Now, here comes the Sunshine Boys.
But there is also an exciting irony about all these Harare teams that have won the title, besides giants CAPS United and Dynamos, as they have all been relegated.
Mawiwi remained calm yesterday, ahead of the biggest match of his career, and there is now no questioning the fact that he will win the Coach of the Year award no matter what happens on Super Sunday, given the way he has inspired his modest team to touch the heavens.
He guided Circle, Gunners and Harare City into the top-flight but winning the league championship will be something really special.
Harare City will start training this morning after the coach decided to give his charges enough time to rest from the busy weekend where they stormed to the top of the league.
“We are starting our preparations tomorrow (today) as we had given the players a break. We will see how it goes when we train tomorrow,” said Mawiwi.
“We really have a tough assignment and we have a lot of respect for CAPS United.
“We remain level-headed, nothing has changed and nothing is special with this game. We have been working hard since the first match of the Premiership race and nothing has changed now and we will keep doing what we have always been doing this season.”
The Sunshine Boys would be forced to make changes to the defensive pair of Witness Nyamutsaka and Munyaradzi Nyenya who were injured in Sunday’s match.
The coach will turn to players such as Sibusiso Sibanda and Edgar Tekere but said the door was still open for others who will impress in training this week.
Mawiwi said it was important for his players to keep their feet on the ground and the management will have to work with them, to mentally prepare them for the mission at hand, so that the men who will battle on Super Sunday are not overwhelmed by the assignment. CAPS
United are yet to beat Harare City since the Sunshine Boys came into the top-flight league. The Green Machine’s assistant coach, Brenna Msiska, said their mission was to try and win the game on Sunday for themselves and were not concerned about its implications elsewhere.
“We know we haven’t beaten Harare City but there is always a first time for everything,” said Msiska.
“Finishing in the top four is important to us since we failed to win the Mbada Diamonds Cup and this is our last chance to do well this season.
“We don’t listen to what people say and we have always had financial problems from day one and I don’t see any reason why now people think our players would be influenced by money to throw a game.
“We played all our games in this situation and did very well and no sane player can misbehave in just this one game and put to waste all that we have worked for this season.
“Only God knows which team will win the league and as for us we will go and do our part and anything can happen,” said Msiska.
Fixtures
Sunday
Dynamos v Black Mambas (Rufaro), Triangle v Chicken Inn (Gibbo), Tripple v How Mine (Dulibadzimu), FC Platinum v Buffaloes (Mandava), Monoz v Black Rhinos (Gwanzura), Hwange v Motor Action (Colliery), CAPS United v Harare City (NSS), Highlanders v Shabanie (BF) (all matches kick off at 3pm).
Online Reporter