HIGHLANDERS coach Kelvin Kaindu has declared they will be seeking revenge against football rivals Dynamos when they square off in the inaugural $110 000 TM Pick n Pay Challenge Cup at the National Sports Stadium on Saturday.
TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
Winners of the Challenge Cup will walk away with $60 000 while runners-up will pocket $50 000, basically meaning the two teams are fighting for the $10 000 difference – a huge figure for 90 minutes’ work.
The outstanding player of the afternoon, to be selected by the media, will also be rewarded with $2 000.
Highlanders have not beaten Dynamos since 2006 when they completed a double over the Harare giants and went on to win their last league title.
Making it more painful for Highlanders this year is that they have finished as runners-up to champions Dynamos in the past two seasons.
DeMbare have also emerged victorious again this season in their back-to-back clashes against Bosso winning by identical 1-0 scorelines.
Speaking at the unveiling of the TM Pick n Pay Challenge Cup in Harare yesterday, Kaindu said the cup was an opportunity for them to revenge.
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“This is an opportunity for us for revenge against our rivals. If you look at the games we have been playing, we have been trying to come right. Slowly we are heading somewhere. But this is a cup final . . . a cup final. This is a cup final,” he stressed.
Highlanders captain Innocent Mapuranga said their philosophy is to leave history for the archives.
“As Highlanders we don’t rely on history. We will play our normal game and come Saturday we are going to win this cup,” declared Mapuranga.
Dynamos chairman Keni Mubaiwa promised not to disappoint their sponsors and urged their supporters to come in large numbers and support them to lift the cup.
“We promise we are not going to disappoint the sponsors and am urging all our supporters to come in large numbers and see us lifting this cup,” said Mubaiwa.
Dynamos were chosen as last year’s champions while Highlanders come in as runners-up.
Although the two rivals will battle it out in this cup, the other 14 teams in the top-flight league will also be rewarded with $5 000 cash without kicking a ball because the Premier Soccer League (PSL) board of governors resolved that challenge or friendly matches could not be played during the course of the league programme.
The board, chaired by Twine Phiri, says this can only happen before or at the end of the season and that if they were to be played during the course of the league programme, it has to involve all the teams in the top-flight league and cannot be limited to just two teams.
Highlanders striker Charles Sibanda also attended the launch with his vice-chairman Mgcini Sibhalo Mpofu.
Highlanders will be flown to Harare on Friday and both teams will be booked at a five-star hotel a day before the epic clash. PSL vice-chairman Peter Dube represented the league.
