The ManicaPost
ESTEEMED followers of the game of football, thank you for finding time for interaction.
Last weekend we sampled the first taste of this season’s competitive action when the semi-finals of the Commander Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Charities Shield exploded.
This might be off-season, yes, and only an invitational game, but any duel featuring the capital city’s cross-town rivals Dynamos and CAPS United is huge and generates both interest and points to ponder.
Not only does this combat carry bragging rights, but it also accorded both sides an opportunity to run the rule over the respective squads they have assembled in preparation for the forthcoming season.
Also, the two coaches — both Lloyds, one a Mutasa and the other a Chitembwe — appear to have taken contrasting approaches to doing business this term. The former looks set to have continued with investing trust in rookies, who, interestingly, answered the call in style by putting one over their more fancied opponents; while the latter has declared banking on the experience of those tried (hopefully they are not tired) legs even as they bit the dust at the hands of a youthful side.
It might have been by default and not by design that DeMbare found themselves fielding a second string squad after their senior players boycotted training in the run-up to the match owing to outstanding dues they are owed by the club, but still they made their money on the day to book a colossal clash against sworn enemies Highlanders in the final.
It might be a setback suffered early by MaKepeKepe, but still this one loss will not make their season and they should be getting geared to bounce back for the Premiership proper.
In this sport, every team is only as good as their previous campaign and keen followers of football shall be eager to observe if Dynamos and CAPS United will improve on their second and fifth place finishes respectively of last term.
With both Harare giants, alongside Bosso, set to enjoy and benefit from the financial injection by Net*One (thanks lots, “The One” partner, and long may your association with our game continue!) they will have one less problem to lose sleep over during the season.
So in this dress rehearsal of the Harare Derby the Glamour Boys have drawn first blood, with the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season barely two weeks away from the projected March 10 kickoff.
It’s Game On, Play On!
Feedback:
What exactly is in some people’s heads? Against the Government, we loudly hear them saying “we are taking this up with the UN (United Nations). In football, they go “let us leave this for Fifa to give us direction.” We should stop giving Zimbabwe a bad name. We are running to these international organisations already overwhelmed by their own challenges and in what sense can foreigners give us the best solutions than us applying our brains to be seen to be doing the right things? – Richard Mahuhushe Chauke.
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