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Bring on Caps Utd: Mawiwi

Sport
HARARE City coach Bigboy Mawiwi says he can handle the pressure as his team prepares for the decisive Castle Lager Premiership football tie against Caps

HARARE City coach Bigboy Mawiwi says he can handle the pressure as his team prepares for the decisive Castle Lager Premiership football tie against Caps United at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.

TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA

And he has to handle this pressure without the suspended key pair of Silas Songani and Crispen Dickson, who have each accumulated three yellow cards and will only be back in action next season.

Songani was destructive in the 4-0 demolition of Highlanders at the weekend that saw City rise to the top of the standings, but just as fate will have it, will miss the last match of the season.

Caps, on the other hand, will have to do without Leonard Fiyado, who has also accumulated three yellow cards.

The Sunshine City Boys now lead the race for the title with 53 points while defending champions Dynamos and Highlanders are in second and third place with 51 points each.

They face Caps United who are keen on a top-four finish in their last match of the campaign and a victory of any margin over the Harare giants will land Harare City the championship — which will be their first since their promotion into the elite league three years ago.

Mawiwi remains confident. He says he has been in the same situation before and still managed to overcome the challenge.

The Harare City coach is credited for leading Circle Cement into the Premiership way back in 2000.

He faced Sporting Lions, then under the guidance of David Mandigora with Arthur Tutani as assistant, in the last match of the season.

Mawiwi managed to guide Circle Cement to the Premiership after beating Sporting Lions.

He says experience will help him as he plots the Makepekepe downfall.

“I have been in this situation before,” said Mawiwi. “When I led Circle Cement to the Premiership in 2000, there was Sporting Lions on our way, but I am managed to beat them. That experience will help us as we approach the Sunday match against Caps United. We will remain level-headed like we have been from Week One. There is nothing special about this match. We are just taking it easy. We should enjoy the game and express ourselves freely. We don’t have any pressure,” said Mawiwi.

Dynamos, who retained second spot after being held to a 2-2 draw at Chicken Inn, host relegation-threatened Black Mambas in a must-win match as they will be hoping that both Harare City and Highlanders stumble in their last matches of the campaign. Dynamos will miss midfielder Steven Alimenda through suspension, while Mambas’ Innocent Nyoni is also out.

In the event that they win at Black Mambas with Highlanders and Harare City faltering, they will be crowned champions for the third successive season. Highlanders will also be at home against Luke Masomere’s Shabanie Mine hoping for a slip-up by both Dynamos and Harare City.

Should the Bulawayo giants win with both Dynamos and Harare City faltering, Bosso will walk to the winners’ podium for the first time since 2006.