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The match has been viewed in some circles as a potential championship decider.
Dynamos lead Highlanders on the standings by two points and a loss to them over the weekend will see a dramatic twist to the race unless Hardbody, who play host to the Bulawayo giants at Ascot Stadium on the same day, perform a Houdini act and hand Highlanders their second defeat of the season.
Monomotapa’s assistant coach Nkululeko Dhlamini a former Dynamos player quashed fears of a ‘brotherly or neighbourly’ affair on Sunday saying they too were fighting for a third place finish and enhance their chances of another dance in the lucrative Caf Champions League.
“No, we will not stoop so low as a club to give away a game to Dynamos as being alleged. We have everything to fight for as we want at least a third place finish.
“The situation is not good for us because we lost on Wednesday and Chicken Inn posted a convincing win,” said Dhlamini.
Monomotapa fell to bogey side Gunners 0-1 while Chicken Inn mercilessly pummelled relegation threatened Blue Rangers 5-1 in a match in which the Adam Ndlovu coached boys went on a 14-minute rampage and drilled four goals.
Monomotapa last beat Gunners in 2008 when they won the championship and ever since then, they have come second best.
“We cannot relax and surrender the game to Dynamos. Monomotapa are a professional side and as such will give it their best come Sunday. We will give Dynamos a good run for their money,” said Dhlamini in a telephone interview.
He said they were fighting their own cause, not on behalf of Highlanders or any other team in the league.
Even on their official social network site, Monoz declared another victory over Dynamos after a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture early in the season.
“Come and witness a spectacle. We are collecting our second set of three points from DeMbare.
Taramba kuzorwa butter. For four years now we have failed to beat Gunners and in a year they may exit PSL they have beaten us, again. We are still the team to beat. A loss to our bogey side doesn’t make us a bad side. Underrate us at your own peril. We will dust ourselves and look forward to the big job on Sunday,” wrote the club.
There is no doubt therefore that all eyes will be at Rufaro and Ascot stadia. Six teams are fighting hard not to join Quelaton who are already relegated. Blue Rangers and Hardbody will be confirmed relegated if they lose their weekend games while Gunners will have to pray that Harare City, Black Mambas and Hwange lose.
Blue Rangers play host to Shabanie Mine at Gwanzura Stadium with Gunners engaging Harare City at Larfarge Stadium.
If Hardbody loses to Bosso it means they can only end the season on 29 points provided they collect maximum points in their last two games while Blue Rangers, if they fall to the Chinda Boys will take their season tally to 30 points. Shabanie Mine will be without Tafadzwa Mombeshora and Smart Muchabayiwa who are part of the five players who will not see action this weekend. Motor Action will be without Godfrey Moyo while FC Platinum was also hit with two suspensions in Zephania Ngodzo and William Manondo. The players have accumulated three yellow cards.
A win for Harare City takes their points tally to 37 with Chipangano getting to the 33 point mark for a win over FC Platinum, two points more than Gunners’ possible maximum.
FC Platinum will play host to Hwange in a battle of the miners. The two rate among the few fledging mines in the country and the stakes are high as always.
FC Platinum have a fairly balanced squad boasting of some of the best talent in the land in Joel Ngodzo and Ali ‘Mkoma Ketai’ Sadiki, two exciting attacking midfielders who can benefit from the toil of Welcome Ndiweni and Thabani Kamusoko in defensive roles.
Meanwhile, the PSL log standings will not change despite Hwange’s appeal.
Hwange appealed to the Commercial Arbitration Centre over a decision to award three points to Dynamos for the 4-2 league match loss after their coaches were assaulted by DeMbare marshals before kick off.
“The log standings remain as they are as an appeal does not change anything. Until a new verdict is announced Dynamos will remain on top,” said league chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele.
Fixtures
Today: Caps United v Motor Action (Rufaro)
Sunday: Quelaton v Chicken Inn (Luveve); Monomotapa v Dynamos (Rufaro); Buffaloes v Black Mambas (Sakubva); Hardbody v Highlanders (Ascot); Blue Rangers v Shabanie (Gwanzura); FC Platinum v Hwange (Mandava); Gunners v Harare City (Lafarge)
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