Chronicle Editor
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
SATURDAY’S Castle Challenge Cup clash between Chibuku Super Cup winners Highlanders and three times in a row champions FC Platinum at Barbourfields Stadium presents one of the biggest and most alluring season openers in recent years in the local Premiership.
A delay in the conclusion of last year’s Castle Lager Premier Soccer League fixtures has gifted the footballing fraternity with what is certain to be a mouthwatering tie that has all the ingredients of a thriller.
The match should have been the last of the season but a congested calendar saw the game being enlisted to kick start the season and fans could not have asked for a better way to watch the 2020 season take off.
Several reasons come to the fore why this will be an exciting match, the first being the poaching of former Highlanders coach, Hendrik De Jongh by FC Platinum late last year.
Platinum used their huge pockets to snatch De Jongh from Bosso just as the club’s bosses believes he was about renew his contract with the Bulawayo club following a successful four-month stint that brought immense joy to the Highlanders faithful.
The Dutch coach brought back belief to a weary black and white army as the team struggled to find consistency and for a period had been hovering just above the drop zone as his tenure proved fruitful bringing in the much-needed wins and restoring the respect Bosso has lost from other sides.
The De Jongh factor brings in a grudge match element, fans are angry he dumped them (after crashing the club’s car and insisting they will sort the issue out when he makes a return only to resurface at FC Platinum), the Dutch coach himself will be eager to prove he is still the same good coach who took Bosso from the near clutches of relegation and left them in a respectable position and what better wat to do it than to beat Highlanders.
After De Jongh trailblazed at Highlanders last year, the club’s new coach, Briton, Mark Harrison is aware he has still to prove himself to the Bosso multitude and win them over and a win over the champions would suffice. The pressure will be on the former Caps coach to deliver on the first outing.
There is midfielder, Denzel Khumalo who also crossed the floor to Zvishavane after becoming De Jongh’s darling who will be eager to prove his worth and show Highlanders they lost a gem in him.
During the short stint the Dutch mentor was at Bosso, Khumalo had been sidelined to the bench, find it hard to lock down a place in the first team and was persistently dogged by disciplinary issues.
Returning Highlanders striker, Mkhokheli Dube will be another player to lookout for as his last stint was with FC Platinum and he will be eager bury his former paymasters and show he still has a lot to offer at 36 years.
A huge football spectacle is in the offing and a carnival mood is certain to engulf Barbourfields on Saturday.
Online Reporter