Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi, [email protected]
DYNAMOS and Highlanders will meet at Rufaro on Sunday, with both giants still trying to settle after a summer of change.
New players, reshuffled benches and early-season nerves have left the country’s biggest clubs searching for balance. The derby arrives before either side has fully found its stride, which gives this edition of the Battle of Zimbabwe a different feel.
For Dynamos coach Genesis Mangombe, the fixture carries its usual weight, even with two teams still shaping themselves.
“Yes, it’s a big game for us,” he said.
“If you look at both teams, we have assembled new squads and Highlanders have also brought in new players and a new technical team. There are things we must worry about and there are things they must worry about.”
Dynamos travel into the derby with a little relief after their 2-1 win over TelOne in Gweru. The victory steadied the mood in the camp after Scottland hammered them 5-0 in the Castle Challenge Cup the previous week.
Mangombe admitted the defeat had been difficult to absorb.
“That was a heavy loss and it was not easy for the players,” he said. “But we told them they are not bad players and we are not a bad team. If we stick to what we want to do, we can still win games.”
The win over TelOne gave his side something to build on.
“We needed that result. It lifted the mood in the dressing room and it helps us prepare for Highlanders.”
Derbies rarely follow form lines and Mangombe expects Sunday to be no different. “The stadium will be full and the supporters always expect a win,” he said. “In these games, the team with stronger character usually finds a way.”
Highlanders arrive in Harare with their own questions.
Club legend Benjani Mwaruwari is still settling into life as Bosso coach and his first league match on the bench ended in frustration. Highlanders needed a late penalty to salvage a 1-1 draw against Bulawayo Chiefs at Barbourfields.
Supporters will be hoping to see sharper organisation when Bosso walk into Rufaro.
The two sides last faced each other a month ago in the Jairos Jiri Charity Cup, when Highlanders edged Dynamos 1-0 in Bulawayo.
Mangombe believes Sunday’s contest will be a different battle now that both teams have begun their league campaigns.
“That match was during pre-season, when we were still trying to work out our team,” he said. “Now, we have started the league and we have three points. We will try to build from that.”
Dynamos fans will also be eager to watch the club’s new foreign recruits.
Malawian forward Stanley Billiat, Congolese midfielder Isaac Landu, Ghanaian Christopher Nakai Netty and Cameroonian Under-23 goalkeeper Idrissou Nfor Finia, have added fresh competition to the squad.
Billiat, in particular, caught attention with an energetic display in the victory over TelOne.
“The foreign players have increased competition in the team,” Mangombe said.
“It gives us more options when selecting the side.”
By Sunday afternoon, Rufaro will again host the rivalry that has shaped Zimbabwean club football for decades. Form, tactics and reputations tend to fade when Dynamos and Highlanders face each other.
What remains is the noise of the crowd and the pressure that comes with wearing either badge.
