Source: BATTLE OF ZIM SET TO SHIFT PSL GEAR – herald
Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports Hub
IT may still be early days in the 2026 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season but the action is already shifting into a higher gear as traditional giants Dynamos and Highlanders reignite old rivalries at Rufaro this Sunday.
The clash between the country’s biggest and most successful clubs always draw interest in the domestic football landscape, despite concerns about the gradually deteriorating standards at the two institutions.
But the clash, dubbed “the Battle of Zimbabwe”, has not lost its essence despite the advent of monied clubs that are setting up a new trajectory, defined by opulence and stronger marketing structures in domestic football.
DeMbare and Bosso have found themselves struggling to match their league rivals in the hunt for players on the transfer market.
Dynamos coach, Genesis Mangombe, feels this year’s edition will have a different touch as both teams have experienced significant changes to their playing personnel and technical teams during the off-season.
“Yes, it’s a big game for us,” Mangombe told Zimpapers Sports Hub.
“But if we are to compare the two teams, we have assembled a new squad, and Highlanders have also assembled a new squad and new technical teams as well.
“So, it means we have a lot of things to be worried about, and they also have a lot of things to worry about.
“But a derby being a derby, we need to make sure that we are in high spirits; that we know that these games are very important in our careers; very important to our fans as well because playing at Rufaro is a bit difficult.
“The ground will be fully packed, and you know our supporters, they always want to win, so we are going to do our best so that we win this game at all costs.”
Both teams’ supporters always have high expectations ahead of the Battle of Zimbabwe, with the huge bragging rights which will be at stake.
This year it came early on Match-day Two when both teams were yet to pick up the tempo.
After being left with a number of question marks following their team 5-0 mauling by Scottland in a Castle Challenge Cup encounter, DeMbare fans found huge solace in the Harare giants’ strong come-from-behind 2-1 win over TelOne at a rain-soaked Ascot last Sunday morning.
And having managed to register a number of their players on the eve of the trip to Gweru, Sunday’s match now presents the DeMbare faithful with a chance to assess the core of the side that Mangombe has been building during off-season.
The Dynamos gaffer acknowledged the significance of winning a season opener.
“The win at TelOne helped lift morale in our camp and it will help us prepare for our coming game against Highlanders,” said Mangombe.
“Yeah, of course it was very difficult going into that game. We were coming from a heavy defeat, which was also difficult for us.
“We psyched up the boys and told them that you are not bad players, we are not a bad team, we can do anything to win games, we can surprise many if we do exactly what we want.
“The boys are responding very well to what we want, and to our philosophy, how we want them to play, in possession and out of possession.
“I am happy that with our tactics, we managed to collect maximum points. We have to carry on in that path,” said Mangombe.
The country’s two biggest teams clash exactly a month after they had tested each other’s strengths in a pre-season charity match, dubbed the Jairos Jiri Cup.
Highlanders, who are now under the tutelage of Zimbabwe legend Benjani Mwaruwari, won the match 1-0 at Barbourfields.
But Mwaruwari’s coaching credentials will also be tested early in the season, especially coming from Bosso’s not so convincing 1-1 home draw with Premiership returnees Bulawayo Chiefs in his first league assignment at Barbourfields.
Bosso needed a late penalty to salvage a point in that low-key Bulawayo derby.
“We played the same opponents in the Jairos Jiri Charity Cup, and we lost. That was pre-season when we were still trying to work out our team.
“Now have somewhere to start from, since we have collected maximum points in the opening game of the season.
“So, we will try and do our best and make sure that at the end of the day, we win the game. I know it’s not going to be easy, it’s like a derby, and derbies are very difficult, and in most cases, they are won by the team with better character,” said Mangombe.
DeMbare have found a new X-factor in their foreign signings: Stanley Billiat from Malawi, Congolese Isaac Landu, Ghanaian Christopher Nakai Netty and former Cameroon Under-23 goalkeeper Idrissou Nfor Finia. Former Nyasa Big Bullets midfielder Billiat in particular appears to have won hearts among the DeMbare fans following his performance in Gweru.
“The foreign guys have given us an added advantage in terms of competition in the team and also wider selection in choosing the best team to represent us,” said Mangombe.
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