PREMIER Soccer League defending champions Dynamos engage Hwange at the Colliery tomorrow in a match that will have a bearing on the title race as well as the relegation battle.
Report by Henry Mhara Sports Reporter
The Harare giants lead the log standings with 55 points, two clear of nearest rivals Highlanders, who play Black Mambas at Barbourfields on the same day.
Hwange, on the other hand, are currently experiencing their worst run this season.
Chipangano have lost their last eight games to slide down on the log standings to 12th position with 26 points.
Manager Tennant Chilumba has already resigned in the wake of the poor run and Nation Dube has been thrust into the hot seat.
However, that reshuffling has failed to bring immediate results as Hwange went on to lose 2-0 to Mambas in Dube’s first match in charge midweek. Hwange would want to win the match for two crucial reasons.
First, they want to rub out the memories of that forgettable 4-2 loss in the reverse fixture at Rufaro Stadium in May, a match that was riddled by allegations that Dynamos marshals had manhandled Dube and assistant coach Mebelo Njekwa just before the first whistle.
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The match went ahead without the pair with the Hwange technical bench manned by the team manager.
But more crucially for Hwange, they want to win the match to ease their relegation worries.
Yet, as tensions are simmering ahead of this potentially explosive encounter, Dube has waved a white flag at Dynamos.
“What happened then was regrettable, but we will not revenge. We are football people,” said Dube.
“We are not going to intimidate them in any way. We are not going to employ any dirty tricks, but we will play them on the field of play.”
Dynamos assistant coach Tonderai Ndiraya had earlier this week made a passionate appeal for a peaceful reception at the Colliery.
“We will be prepared for any eventuality at the Colliery, but I suppose Hwange are a football team with football people and they will behave in a football way. That’s what we expect them to be,” said Ndiraya.
Dube, however, stoked fires ahead of the match when he declared yesterday that “there is nothing special” about the log leaders.
“It’s just like any other fixtures that we are going to fulfil. We will play our normal game and hope to pick maximum points.”
Save for the suspended Rodreck Mutuma and the injured Milton Makopa, Dynamos coach Kalisto Pasuwa have a full strength squad for the match.
As for Hwange, Rodwell Chinyengetere is still out injured.
