Online Reporter
Fungai Muderere [email protected]
THERE will be no time for Highlanders and Chicken Inn to catch their breath after Sunday’s Chibuku Super Cup showdown, with the Bulawayo giants set to renew hostilities in a rescheduled
Premier Soccer League fixture at Barbourfields Stadium tomorrow.
The eagerly anticipated league encounter comes just three days after the two sides locked horns in the Chibuku Super Cup first round, where Highlanders emerged victorious following a dramatic penalty shootout.
After 90 minutes of a tense goalless stalemate, Bosso held their nerve from the spot to prevail 3-1 and book their place in the last eight of the competition.
But with the cup dust barely settled, attention now shifts back to the league, where the two Bulawayo giants will once again fight for bragging rights.
Highlanders’ official social media post read: “No time to rest. Midweek action awaits as we face Chicken Inn this Wednesday in our rescheduled fixture, Bulawayo bragging rights are on the line once again”. This perfectly captures the mood ahead of another intriguing derby.
The rematch promises to be a different game as the league points are at stake and as such both sides want a win.For Highlanders, the psychological boost of eliminating their city rivals from the Chibuku Super Cup will provide extra motivation, but they will be wary of facing a Chicken Inn side that will be desperate to respond.
The Gamecocks will also feel hard done by Sunday’s cup exit, having matched Bosso throughout regulation time before losing on penalties.
Chicken Inn’s task will be to quickly shake off the disappointment and channel it into Wednesday’s league assignment.
For Bosso, however, the challenge will be managing fatigue after an emotionally draining cup tie, while maintaining the intensity required for another demanding 90 minutes against the same opponents.
The fixture also adds another chapter to one of Zimbabwean football’s most fiercely contested city rivalries.
Sunday’s encounter showed that very little separates the two sides, and another closely fought battle is expected at Barbourfields.
Highlanders will be hoping the likes of veteran Andrew Mbeba, Rainsome Pavari, Kudakwashe Mahachi and goalkeeper Aaron “Arusha” Ngwenya can once again rise to the occasion.
Chicken Inn, meanwhile, will be looking for a much-improved attacking display after failing to find the net in the cup clash.
With the Chibuku Super Cup bragging rights already belonging to Bosso, Chicken Inn now have an immediate opportunity to hit back.
Tomorrow’s derby therefore carries more than just three points.
It is a chance for Chicken Inn to restore pride, while Highlanders will be looking to complete a memorable double over their city rivals within the space of three days.
The cup may have provided the drama, but the league promises another battle for Bulawayo supremacy.
—@FungaiMuderere
