Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira, Zimpapers Sports Hub
HIGHLANDERS are bracing for a season defining showdown against Manica Diamonds at Barbourfields Stadium on Saturday, 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 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.
On the opposite bench, 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.”
Saturday’s clash isn’t just another fixture; it’s a fight for survival between two sides desperate to avoid a nightmare finish. Barbourfields will roar, and Highlanders are counting on that roar to be their lifeline.
Castle Lager Premier Soccer League
Matchday 33 Fixtures
ZPC Kariba vs TelOne (Nyamhunga Stadium)
FC Platinum vs Herentals (Mandava Stadium)
Yadah vs Dynamos (Ngoni Stadium)
Bikita Minerals vs Simba Bhora (Sakubva Stadium)
Highlanders vs Manica Diamonds (Barbourfields Stadium)
Ngezi Platinum Stars vs Chicken Inn (Baobab Stadium)
CAPS United vs MWOS (Rufaro Stadium)
Triangle United vs Kwekwe United (Gibbo Stadium)
Scottland vs GreenFuel (Wadzanayi Stadium)
