Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
WHEN Kelvin Kaindu leads Dynamos to Barbourfields to face Highlanders this Sunday, he will be carrying all the ingredients that make up a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League bestseller.
The Zambian import coach will be back at the iconic arena he called home barely six months ago before he was surprisingly jettisoned from the Bulawayo giants shortly before the mid-season mark.
By the time Bosso showed him the exit door, Kaindu had assembled the bulk of the side which he will face on Sunday, adding intrigue to the fixture.
Unlike in their previous meetings, the latest clash between Bosso and DeMbare has been spiced by the two giants’ precarious log standings.
It is a stakes battle of survival.
Both sides are stuck in the relegation matrix, currently separated by two points on the standings where the hosts are ninth while Dynamos are 14th. And Kaindu stands between both teams’ fortunes.
If he leads Dynamos to victory, he would be adding to Highlanders’ dilemma.
Should Highlanders hand Kaindu’s first defeat in charge of Dynamos, the Harare giants could slide back into the drop zone.
Kaindu, returning to Barbourfields for the first time after his sacking by Bosso, is aware of the complexity of the situation before him.
“It’s a big game for both teams, two points separating both teams, which makes it a bit interesting,” said Kaindu.
“We just hope that from what we are doing, we get our targets right on that day and facing my former team obviously comes with a bit of emotions.”
“I am now a Dynamos coach and I want to focus on what Dynamos can do,” Kaindu said. Bosso have since engaged Dutchman Pieter “Champ” de Jongh to lead the survival mission.
But they have continued to blow hot and cold. Highlanders were ninth on the log with 23 points when Kaindu left.
They had recorded five wins, eight draws and four losses under his watch.
The figures reflect a team defensively solid and difficult to beat, although they struggle to create goals to convert matches into victories.
With detailed notes on Highlanders, Kaindu’s extensive knowledge of them could provide him with a strategic edge against his former team. He expressed confidence in the potential effectiveness of his game plan, emphasising that his familiarity with the players and their capabilities could play a crucial role in the outcome of the match.
“If our game plan works for us on that day, it will be an advantage because I have got more information concerning the players that are there,” Kaindu said.
“I think in terms of details, I can go from player number one to the last, in terms of their strength and weaknesses, I know what they can do at home and away.
“We will be cautious, it’s actually what happens on the day that determines the result so if our players can come to the party, it will be good for us,” added Kaindu. Since his arrival as a replacement for the out of sorts Saul Chaminuka, Dynamos have been a vastly transformed outfit and are yet to taste defeat in all competitions. They have collected 11 out of 15 points with three wins and two draws in their last five games. In an equal number of games, Bosso have amassed six points with three draws, a victory and defeat. While the recent history favouring Dynamos, the long-standing record shows that the last time the Harare giants defeated Bosso in 90-minutes open play was in 2017. In 2023, they posted a win although the match was abandoned in the first half, prematurely ending 3-0.
The following year, Highlanders won back-to-back (2-1 and 2-0) before the two sides shared spoils in a goalless draw earlier this year.
Kaindu faces a stern test in his bid to rewrite this unpleasant history. The former Zambian international who also played for Highlanders hopes that his rejuvenated Dynamos will continue with the purple patch they had enjoyed before the international break.
“If you look at the number of games that we have played from mid-season, we haven’t dropped maximum points so picking from where we left is key,” Kaindu said.
“However, we are still in a position that is a bit compromising, we have to maintain the rhythm that we had and also keep on getting goals.” “Even in our session, this is what we are doing, once we get our tactics right, then we are home and dry.
“The good thing is that in a game like this one, players are already in the mood to play so what is important is for us to get the tactics right.”
With his deep understanding of the intimidating Barbourfields atmosphere whenever Bosso played at home, Kaindu could opt for his senior men to do duty. “We need to know who to remove and who to put in when we play on Sunday because the BF atmosphere can be ruthless,” he added. “The crowd can influence the performance of an individual or the performance of the team so these are things that we are working on.
“We know it’s going to be different but all we need is just to be composed, play our game, pick points as we have been doing.
“If you look at the teams that are at the bottom, one game makes a difference, we just hope that we don’t get back to relegation because only a few games remain.”
