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Curtworth Masango
Dynamos and CAPS United players have welcomed the use of the National Sports Stadium as venue for the big Harare Derby at the weekend.
The bitter rivals clash in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday with title-chasing Dynamos seeking to bounce back from the weekend’s loss to Bulawayo Chiefs while CAPS United seek to end a winless run.
It is the first time a league match is being played in Harare since July as teams from the capital had to find temporary bases elsewhere due to the sudden unavailability of the National Sports Stadium to facilitate repairs while Rufaro and Gwanzura remain unusable.
Whether the National Sports Stadium has returned for good remains to be seen but a Harare derby being played at Barbourfields in Bulawayo would have been an unwanted history for domestic football.
Both camps are happy with the use of the National Sports Stadium on Sunday as they will have maximum time to prepare as compared to the previous weeks when they had to make do with three-day full practice sessions while the rest of the days would be for travel, match day and recovery.
In an interview on ZTN Prime’s Morning Rush yesterday, the duo of Dynamos vice-captain Emmanuel Jalai and CAPS United captain Tonderai Mateyaunga revealed to Zimpapers Sport that both teams are motivated to battle out for the bragging rights and are excited to be back in the capital.
“I’m happy that football is back in Harare. To come back to Harare with a derby is a motivation for us as players.
“A derby is always a derby and as players we have badges to protect, bragging rights to fight for. So form doesn’t count here. Going into Sunday’s game it’s about who wants it more,” said Jalai.
Mateyaunga agreed:
“As a player these games show how much you have developed. It’s a game that everyone wants to express himself and show the people what he can do. So I am hoping me and my boys will show up and give the best to our fans
“It was not easy at first as we were playing in an empty stadium but later on people started coming. We were not getting the results we wanted but we have been playing better and good football. “We just hope from where we are we continue playing good football and hope we start getting results in this derby,” said Mateyaunga.
The two teams have been having different fortunes away from Harare with Dynamos based in Bulawayo while CAPS were based in Gweru.
Jalai felt the club had given them an advantage by making them travel by air for matches which have also contributed to their good run.
“It’s been tough for us players, travelling across the country and playing in Harare is a motivation for us players.
“As Dynamos, Bulawayo has been second home to us, there was no big difference for us playing in Bulawayo.
“It’s a plus for us we have been flying in terms of fatigue as the rate differs if you are flying compared to be traveling by road. “We only lost a single game when playing in Bulawayo so it’s a reflection of how we have been travelling as Dynamos,” he said.
While Mateyaunga is looking to turn the tables on Dynamos while also ending a barren spell.
“It has been tough for us in this winless run. Things have not been going well for us despite starting so well but we ran out of things we were having before. But I just hope playing Dynamos at National Sports Stadium will give us the boost which is also our home away from home.
“Our fans are very much important to us and we are grateful to the times they have stood with us in this winless streak,” he said.
Online Reporter