‘Game for players to give their all’

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter

WHENEVER the country’s traditional soccer giants Highlanders and Dynamos faceoff, everything comes to a standstill, with all the attention set on the two.

Bulawayo is likely to come to a halt with the streets painted black and white or blue and white on Saturday when Highlanders host Dynamos at Barbourfields Stadium.

Supporters from both sets of teams, no matter the form of their sides, always head for the encounter optimistic of a positive result.

The optimistic feeling that followers have is the same that the players have — at least according to former footballers who played for both Highlanders and Dynamos during their prime time, Thomas Sweswe and Danisa Phiri.

Sweswe only donned the Highlanders shirt for just four months in 2004 before he was whisked away to South African side Manning Rangers alongside Bosso legend Dazzy Kapenya.

The two, Sweswe and Kapenya had in the 2003 been part of now defunct Sporting Lions, with the former joining Bosso while the latter went to AmaZulu en route to Manning Rangers.

During his short stay at Highlanders, the former defence stalwart, Sweswe only played against Dynamos twice, losing 2-1 in an Independence Cup final in Harare and winning the league match 2-1 at Barbourfields Stadium.

Sweswe, now the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe (FUZ) secretary still has sweet memories about their 2-1 win against Dynamos.

He recalls Honour Gombami finding an equaliser after Dynamos had taken the lead before Charles Chilufya got a late winner that sent fans and players into a frenzy.

The former Zimbabwe international believes that just like in the past, the match between Highlanders and Dynamos brings the best out of players.

“This is a big match in the country, a game that almost all the players wish to play in. Considering that presently the two teams are playing well, unbeaten in four games, fans are expecting a good match. It’s going to be a full house.

“This tie also comes at the right time and it’s a good occasion for players to show what they are made of. Names are made and destroyed in these games.

If you’re a player for either side, fans will hate you for life if you make a grave mistake in the Bosso-DeMbare tie because of the bragging rights at stake,” said Sweswe.

He was amused by the Highlanders supporters, who turn up in their thousands week in, week out, describing them as “passionate and appreciative” fans.

The former Bosso defender who returned from South Africa to join Dynamos at the beginning of 2008, stayed for two seasons at DeMbare before returning to Mzansi to join Kaizer Chiefs, said even players feigning injuries made themselves available for selection for this encounter.

“No one wanted to miss the Highlanders and Dynamos game. I think even now, none of the players in those teams want to miss the clash.

I remember during my times at Bosso and DeMbare, injured players or those feigning injuries would report for training and tell the coaches that they’re ready for selection. Such is testimony that the Bosso-DeMbare game is more than a game that anyone wants to miss,” Sweswe said.

While at Dynamos, Sweswe was in the team that drew by identical 1-1 score lines in 2008.
“Whether the game was in Harare or Bulawayo, the build-up was always epic.

The game started in the streets and you could feel the vibe on your way to training. I played about five games while turning out for Dynamos against Highlanders and never lost.

The one I’ll never forget in Dynamos colours was our 2009 4-0 win in Harare where Cuthbert Malajila (also a former Highlanders player) scored a hat trick,” said Sweswe.

His prediction about Saturday’s game is: “No goals, a lovely 0-0. I watched Dynamos draw with Cranborne Bullets and not so many chances were created.

This is a big match, which will be more tactical and more cautious, no one wants to make a mistake in these kinds of matches.”

Meanwhile, Phiri has described the upcoming tie between Highlanders and Dynamos as “the big game of the year” that no supporter must miss.

The former Njube Sundowns utility player, who was part of the squad that won Bosso’s last championship in 2006, feels the Highlanders and Dynamos’ technical teams have little to do in terms of motivating players as the match “self-ignites” every member of the squad.

Phiri, who spent just a season at Highlanders before Njube Sundowns recalled him from loan at Bosso challenged players to give a good show to supporters.

“In my view, this is the biggest game to watch this year and supporters better come in their numbers to witness this one because both teams are unbeaten and have started the season well.

I’m sure it will be an entertaining game, and if you miss this one as a supporter in Bulawayo, there’s no other game that will be this big this season.

“You know what these games do to players is that they are already geared up to dish out top performances and there’s little that coaches can do to push them during the week or even on match day.

When I was playing, we knew that games like these are the ones that put you on the Soccer Stars calendar.

“My prediction is that this will be a tightly contested game with whoever winning it 1-0,” Phiri said.

Just like Sweswe, Phiri joined Dynamos in 2008 and was part of the DeMbare side that lost to Cotton Sport of Cameroon in the semi-finals of the Caf Champions League.

On why he joined Dynamos, Phiri said: “The opportunity to play in the Caf Champions League was all I needed.

When I won the title with Highlanders, Njube Sundowns dragged me out of camp before playing in the Caf Champions League for Bosso having stayed a week in camp. I was hurt and when Dynamos said they wanted my services, I jumped in because of the Champions League.” — @ZililoR