The Big Day Cometh

Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE much-anticipated matchday for probably the biggest match in the Castle Lager Premiership for Bulawayo in the first third has come, with the city’s usually bustling streets still sleepy ahead of big matches.
Six hours before the match, the hype is yet to pick up.

Highlanders take on Scottland in a winners’ take all clash at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

It could now turn to be the biggest clash in the land with both teams having drawn very good crowds in their opening three matches.

Whoever wins the clash will have defended his city, grabbed bragging rights and the priceless three points.

Even at their worst, Highlanders have often stood up to defend their pride against big teams.

Scottland, with barely a year in football, has raised a lot of eyebrows with the manner in which it has gone about its business on the transfer market and has had some commercial partners come on board.

Can all the vibe around them pass the vociferous Barbourfields pro-Highlanders fanfare? Great players before have alluded to the difficulty at facing the fans and a determined Bosso at Emagumeni.

It will be a battle of wits between Kelvin Kaindu the Highlanders gaffer and league championship-winning Tonderai Ndiraya who won the title last year before joining the Northern Region champions Scottland.
On paper the die looks cast Scottland’s way given the resources and incentives at their disposal and what they grabbed on the transfer market, landing the signatures of some of the best players on the local scene, Talbert Shumba, Tymon Machope, Peter Muduhwa, last year’s top goalscorers, Zimbabwe Footballer of the Year Walter Musona and talisman Khama Billiat.

While teaming with so much talent, Highlanders have a bunch of players who could take Sunday’s afternoon match to shake off the nearly-man tag.

For long they played under the shadows of the departed quartet of Marvellous Chigumira, Godfrey Makaruse, Muduhwa and Chikukwa, could this be the day they take their place under the sun before an appreciative Barbourfields and Zimbabwe audience.
Arthur Ndlovu, Marlvin Hativagone, Andrew Mbeba, Melikhaya Ncube and Mason Mushore will be the players expected to rise to the occasion.