Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira
Zimpapers Sports Hub
HIGHLANDERS are bracing for a season-defining showdown against Manica Diamonds at Barbourfields tomorrow.
And coach Pieter de Jongh is calling on the club’s passionate fans to rally behind their team one more time. The Dutchman believes Bosso’s famed support could make all the difference in a tense relegation scrap that has left the Bulawayo giants fighting to preserve their top-flight status.
“It’s an important home game this Saturday afternoon, and it’s a bit new for us because we normally play on Sundays.
“Everyone is available, no injuries, no suspensions, and we are ready. I hope and ask everyone who loves Highlanders to come to the stadium.
“There are many people who love Bosso in Zimbabwe, and we ask them to come in their numbers,” said De Jongh. With only two matches left, Highlanders and Manica Diamonds are tied on 37 points, separated only by goal difference.
Every move will matter, a single mistake could decide who stays up and who goes down.
For Highlanders, this season has been anything but ordinary. They started as dark horses for the title before inconsistency, off-the-field tension, and a run of poor results turned the campaign into a battle for survival. Yet, through the turbulence, the fans have remained loyal, filling Barbourfields every week and even following the team on the road.
De Jongh hopes that same energy will lift his men once again.
“Our supporters have been fantastic throughout the season. When the stadium is full, the players feel it, it gives them courage. That’s why I believe we can do it if we all stand together,” he said.
Manica Diamonds coach Tafadzwa Mashiri knows what kind of cauldron awaits him in Bulawayo. His team, fresh from a morale-boosting win over Ngezi Platinum, will arrive with confidence but also caution.
“We are facing Highlanders, the traditional giants of local football. It’s not going to be easy,” Mashiri admitted. I rate the Highlanders fans as number one in the country, they make football beautiful. But we have to be strong mentally.
“We can’t be intimidated. Our patience and composure will decide the result.”
Castle Lager Premier Soccer League
Matchday 33 Fixtures
ZPC Kariba vs TelOne (Nyamhunga)
FC Platinum vs Herentals (Mandava)
Yadah vs Dynamos (Ngoni)
Bikita Minerals vs Simba Bhora (Sakubva)
Highlanders vs Manica Diamonds (Barbourfields)
Ngezi Platinum Stars vs Chicken Inn (Baobab)
CAPS United vs MWOS (Rufaro)
Triangle United vs Kwekwe United (Gibbo)
Scottland vs GreenFuel (Wadzanai)
