THE sleepy city of Gweru is set to transform into a cauldron of noise and colour today as the 2026 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season kicks off with a heavyweight clash at Ascot Stadium.
At 3pm, TelOne FC host the country’s most decorated club, Dynamos, in a fixture defined by a psychological hurdle: DeMbare have never recorded a win against TelOne in Gweru.
For the Harare giants, this isn’t just a season opener; it is a mission of redemption.
The Glamour Boys arrive in the Midlands still smarting from a humiliating 5-0 drubbing against Scottland FC in the Castle Challenge Cup at Rufaro last weekend.
After a 2025 campaign where they fought relegation until the final day, the blue half of Harare is desperate for a fresh start.
History, however, suggests a cagey affair.
Since 2019, these two have met six times, producing four draws and two 1-0 results.
With an average of just one goal per game in this fixture and not a single match ever producing three goals, fans should expect a tactical grind rather than a goal-fest.
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Dynamos head coach Genesis Mangombe is acutely aware of the pressure following the Scottland disaster.
“Yeah, I think it’s now different that it was a cup game and you know the tactics you apply only in a cup game are different from what we are looking at in a league game,” he explained.
“But you know, it was a very, very bad defeat, a difficult one and we’ve been working on psyching up the boys. They were not bad that they cannot play, but it was a very, very, very bad day in office.”
Despite the scars from Rufaro, Mangombe is confident in his squad depth as player registrations finalise.
“We are almost there . . . we are 99% [availability].
“I’m happy that now we have a wider selection and we have a very stiff competition in terms of selecting the team.
“I’m confident that we are going to win this game.”
The coach is banking on new faces to provide the spark.
“Stanley Billiat is also doing well in the attack force and Isaac Landu is also trying to give us cover at the back.
“And you see we were porous during the last game, but now those are some of the things we are addressing and I think they are going to give us value in this game.”
Standing in his way is his “brother” and TelOne coach Herbert Maruwa.
The WiFi Boys finished fifth last season and, despite losing Soccer Star of the Year Washington Navaya, remain a disciplined unit.
Mangombe acknowledges the challenge: “You see, Herbert is a brother and we share some of the things, but now it’s a different story altogether.
“We are playing for maximum points and it means it’s going to be a very, very, very difficult game.”
Will DeMbare finally “break the duck” at Ascot, or will the WiFi Boys transmit another signal of distress to the capital?
The quest for the 2026 title begins today.
