Three Zimbabwe football clubs go into Africa this weekend seeking the best possible results that will open doors for progress into the next stage of the inter-club competitions.
It all starts at Rufaro Stadium this afternoon as FC Platinum engage El Merreikh of Sudan in the first leg, first round of the Champions League.
The match was due to be played at Mandava Stadium in Zvishavane, but due to accommodation complications in the Midlands town, and with Caf insisting, the game had to be moved to Harare.
That aside, Zimbabwe football fans have to be at Rufaro this afternoon to support Platinum in their quest to win the match, regardless of which team they support in the league. And more so, we expect Dynamos and Caps United fans, who dominate Harare to be in town.
While Caps Uniteds fortunes have been on the downside since Charles Mhlauri gave them two titles in 2004 and 2005, it is their more successful and noisy neighbours who should throng Rufaro today and teach the latest version of the zora butter kwesekwese.
With or without Dombo, or rather Donald Ngoma, this is the new Platinum team, powered by exciting youngsters like Alia Sadiki, Qadr Amin, Joel Ngodzo and Mitchell Katsvairo that wants to leave an indelible mark in their debut Champions League.
And Pure Platinum Play have also appealed to all Zimbabwe fans: This is no longer an FC Platinum thing. We urge all Zimbabweans, irrespective of which club they support locally, to come and root for the team. Lets all come and cheer the boys because they are representing Zimbabwe.
In Maputo, Dynamos finally get their Champions League campaign underway against Liga Muulmana this afternoon in the first round, first leg after getting a bye from the preliminaries.
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Never mind the issue of food in Maputo, Liga knows whats going to hit them and might try to play mind games to frustrate Dynamos to no avail.
Dynamos have been in this game for far too long and know all injustices of African football, some of which even occurred last season that saw defender Guthrie Zhokinyi being banned for four games for that red card in Algeria.
Rewinding back to 1998 in the second leg of the Champions League final against Asec Mimosas, legendary Dynamos midfielder Memory Mucherahowa and then coach Sunday Chidzambwa will tell you the horror story.
Tomorrow, the action moves to Matabeleland North where Hwange engage Al Amal Atbara in the first leg, first round of the Confederation Cup at the Colliery Stadium.
With the coal miners being basically new in this game, they need the support and the seven goals they hammered past Jamhuri of Zanzibar in the preliminary round are enough testimony Tennant Chilumbas men are looking at making their own history.
So people of Zimbabwe, lets put our differences aside today and tomorrow, support the boys and pray for victories.
