Online Reporter
Onward Gangata [email protected]
THE Kwekwe derby between Central Region Soccer League side, Kwekwe United and Hardrock stands out as the headline fixture in the country’s premier cup competition for soccer fans in the Midlands province.
It also guarantees that there will be at least one team from the province that will progress to the last 16 stage of the tournament.
There are four teams from the Midlands that still have a chance to make it into the round of 16.
Struggling premiership side TelOne will host high flying division one outfit Blanket Mine at Ascot stadium on Sunday.
Also still in with a chance is Zifa Midlands Division TWO side, Chili FC who will face Aqua Stars at Luveve Stadium on Monday.
However, the highlight of the round of 32 in the province is without doubt the Kwekwe derby.
It is a battle of two opposing worlds, the affluent Hardrock, who are literally turning heads in the country with the way they do business.
They have all that a football team can need, a state of the art home ground, immaculate kits and a huge purse.
Their recent acquisition of Highlanders hot shot, Mongameli Tshuma demonstrates their financial muscle.
On the other hand, Kwekwe United, who were relegated to the Central Region from the Premiership are a team that feeds off scraps.
Kwekwe United are sponsored by Scottland owner, Scott Sakupwanya and occasionally relies on Hardrock for assistance in many things.
Hardrock recently loaned out some of their players to the former Premiership side who sit third in the central region soccer league.
The difference in class is telling.
Kwekwe United will host their city rivals at Chahwanda Stadium because their preferred home ground Baghdad Stadium does not meet top flight standards.
“Kwekwe United Football Club wishes to inform all our valued supporters thatour highly anticipated Munhumutapa Cup Round of 32 fixture against Hardrock FC, scheduled for 9 August 2026, will be played at Chahwanda Stadium instead of our traditional home ground,Baghdad Stadium.
“This change has been necessitated by circumstances beyond the control of
Kwekwe United Football Club and is in line with decisions made by the country’s football governing authorities regarding the hosting of the fixture,” reads a message from the club to it’s supporters earlier this week.
But derbies have a way of equalising things and fans should brace for a hotly contested battle this afternoon.
In Gweru, TelOne coach, Saul Chaminuka will be hoping to remind the football world that his side is good enough.
Despite being in the relegation matrix, Chaminuka feels the Wifi Boys are a good side who have been unlucky this term.
“We are competitive, we may have lost games but most of the games that we have lost are not games we lost because we played badly,” said Chaminuka.
“Sometimes it is just a question of luck, sometimes you also look at the mistakes that players make, which is normal, football is like that and whoever gets over those mistakes wins.”
