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Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
THERE is renewed hope for the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.
The domestic Premiership always finds its pulse when the traditional giants are doing well.
The 2023 season has taken off to an interesting start especially for the traditional Big Three — Dynamos, CAPS United and Highlanders — who have continued to wow their fans after flexing their muscles in the early games.
The giants have really made their presence felt. They have also conjured up some magic, with Highlanders ending a nine-year old jinx against FC Platinum at a packed Barbourfields while Makepekepe needed a wonder goal by Adrian Silla to end the resistance by ZPC Kariba at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
Dynamos have also enjoyed a promising start and are sitting at the top of the table.
As if on cue, the Glamour Boys are followed in the rankings by CAPS United and Highlanders, with the three teams equal on seven points and only separated by goal difference.
But it was Highlanders who shook the football scene with a gigantic performance both on the pitch and in the terraces.
The Bulawayo giants last week made a passionate appeal to their supporters and they heeded the call by turning up at Barbourfields in huge numbers on Sunday for their match against four-time champions FC Platinum.
Official Bosso statistics yesterday revealed that 11 046 spectators paid to watch the match against FC Platinum. But images circulating in the media showed that the ground was almost full to capacity.
Barbourfields has an official sitting capacity of approximately 25 000, although estimates further suggest the ground can still accommodate up to 40 000 people.
Judging by the visuals for Sunday’s game, the possibility of leakages at the gates cannot be ruled out. Clubs need to be stricter and more diligent at the entry points.
Nonetheless, the 11 000 was not a bad crowd considering where Zimbabwean football is coming from. Just last year, clubs were struggling to attract 2 000 paying fans.
The Bosso fans got full value for their money at the weekend after watching their team walking away with maximum points in this tight contest. Highlanders had last beaten FC Platinum back in 2014.
Former FC Platinum man Stanley Ngala punished his ex-team with the opening goal for Bosso. Defender Peter Muduhwa then doubled the lead with a header before Walter Musona pulled one back in the second stanza.
It was not an easy game for Bosso and it needed a Portuguese coach Baltemar Brito to end their prolonged misery at the hands of FC Platinum.
Brito, who also saw Bosso end a six-year away winless run in a smash-and-grab against Black Rhinos last week, appeared to have done his homework well.
“What is important right now is to get the points. It doesn’t matter how,” he said after beating the platinum miners, who have dominated the domestic league for the past four seasons.
“For us the three points are most important. If we want to make achievements we need to understand we have to get points from teams like FC Platinum that have quality in terms of players,” said Brito.
Dynamos have also been drawing good crowds to their matches and last week they had 6 000 paying fans who cheered the team on to a massive 4-0 drubbing of Premiership new boys Sheasham.
In fact, the DeMbare fans have taken it upon themselves to enhance the zing in domestic football by embarking on road shows before each of their games as a way of drumming up support.
But on Saturday the team found the going tough against another newly promoted side Simba Bhora at the National Sports Stadium.
Simba Bhora have been viewed as “Dynamos-lite” because they have a number of former Dynamos players and coach Tonderai Ndiraya in their ranks.
Simba executive chairman Isaiah Mupfurutsa also recently crossed the floor from the Glamour Boys.
Dynamos fans came in their numbers, hoping to watch an entertaining match, but it was not to be.
This one was a dull encounter, which was full of stoppages, especially in the second half, when Simba Bhora became more physical. DeMbare lost two key players — Frank Makarati and Donald Mudadi — to injuries.
In the end, the match was a drab 0-0 draw.
Dynamos coach Herbert Maruwa was still happy with the point.
“We expected a difficult match against them and I am happy that we managed a point from home as we prepare for the next match, hopefully, the injuries we incurred are not that serious.
“They (Simba Bhora) were playing a physical game and I had to tell my players to take it easy. It’s part of the game and we couldn’t do anything about it,” said Maruwa.
Fellow giants CAPS United had to find a way to win against former coach Darlington Dodo’s ZPC Kariba. Makepekepe twice survived thunderous shots that hit the woodwork.
But Silla Silla, on his debut for the Green Machine, made the difference with a wonder goal that ensured his team collected two wins and, just like Dynamos and Highlanders, remained unbeaten.
In fact, there were at least two wonder goals this weekend. The other one was scored by Liberty Chakoroma in Manica Diamonds’ 1-1 draw with Herentals last Friday.
Meanwhile, the Premier Soccer League have released their Easter programme which will see the local football being played five days continuously beginning this Thursday when new boys Simba Bhora engage Yadah in pursuit of their first win in the topflight league.
An exciting encounter is on the cards on Good Friday when Chicken Inn host Highlanders at Barbourfields in a Bulawayo Derby.
Champions FC Platinum will be looking to bounce back to winning ways at their Mandava fortress against plucky Bulawayo Chiefs.
The Manicaland Derby featuring GreenFuel and Manica Diamonds will take place at Gibbo while army side Black Rhinos will be at home to CAPS United at the National Sports Stadium on the same day.
Then on Saturday, it is going to be a battle of recently-promoted teams as Hwange host Sheasham at Luveve while ZPC Kariba will be back at the National Sports Stadium for their home game against Triangle on Sunday.
Giants Dynamos will draw the curtain down for the Easter holidays when they welcome Cranborne Bullets at the National Sports Stadium on Easter Monday.
Fixtures
Thursday: Yadah v Simba Bhora (NSS)
Friday: Black Rhinos v CAPS Utd (NSS), Ngezi Platinum Stars v Herentals (Baobab), FC Platinum v Bulawayo Chiefs (Mandava), GreenFuel v Manica Diamonds (Gibbo), Chicken Inn v Highlanders (Barbourfields)
Saturday: Hwange v Sheasham (Luveve)
Sunday: ZPC Kariba v Triangle (NSS)
Monday: Dynamos v Cranborne Bullets (NSS)
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