The Sunday News
Lovemore Dube, Sports Coordinator
HIGHLANDERS FC coach Kelvin Kaindu has asked for patience from the team’s supporters.
His team clashes with Dynamos this afternoon in a rare Premier Soccer League season opener pitting the two giants. The game is scheduled for Barbourfields Stadium and promises to be a tough affair as both teams were not convincing on the transfer market. Save for the traditional rivalry, there seems not much to expect from either side, more so the game coming so early with no heightened expectations.
Kaindu, in an interview with Zimpapers Sport on Friday evening on the sidelines of the BetterBrands sponsorship launch for his club said he would put his best possible starting 11 and take it from there.
“We will field the best possible team to face Dynamos. The boys have been working hard ahead of this match and many to follow, Dynamos will always be Dynamos against Highlanders. They will bring their “A” game, we have also tried our best to prepare not for just this game but the whole fixture programme for 2024,” said Kaindu.
He said coming from the past season and the departure of several players from last year’s squad, he appealed for fans to be patient.
“There are some players I did not find who were part of the team last season. We ask the supporters to be patient, we are working for the better for the team and everyone. It’s a whole new set-up for those in the first team, getting to know each other, identifying where best we could utilise the material we have and the best combinations. It is not as easy as ABC. We try all the time to do better. Winning is the essence of competition and that is what we will try to achieve,” said Kaindu.
He said expectations will always be there but this was a different Highlanders that is rebuilding and has gone even to its junior development and Division One in search of talent to revive the club. Kaindu said the club has been down that path before and in the past emerged with results that he owed to supporters’ patience and fantastic support.
“We have walked down that path before in the history of the club where we have resorted to juniors and Division One stars.
They are being introduced to the first team and some coming from lower division league football. Such players need time and patience and us coaches to gradually get them into the groove. Usually, the start may not be so good, if it gets to be it’s a bonus, but success is a long process, not an event,” he said.
In the early 1980s Bosso dug deep into its reserves and plucked out Summer Ncube, Mercedes Sibanda, Willard Khumalo, Netsai Moyo, Sydney Zimunya to replace ageing stars from the pre-Independence days.
There were additions from lower leagues like Alexander Maseko, David Phiri, demoted teams like Olympics gave Bosso Nqobizitha Maenzanise, Tito Paketh and Cephas Sibanda but in the late 1980s’ revival had a solid foundation from the junior ranks in which fans played a part in helping groom the likes of Adam and Peter Ndlovu, Makheyi Nyathi, Nkululeko Dlodlo, Abraham Mbambo, Lovemore Ncube and Gift Lunga (Senior).
The team that won four championships on the trot from 1998 to 2002 was also built on a foundation of unknowns who went on to be the best in the land. Kaindu is confident that Bosso will roar again. But today’s match, he believes should not be used as a barometer of the team’s strength as it is a work in progress.
Meanwhile, Manica Diamonds, runners-up last season after playing all their 34 league games away, will taste home advantage for the first time when they play host to Simba Bhora at Sakubva Stadium in Mutare.
Simba Bhora were very active in the market and landed some good players like Junior Makunike, Mthokozisi Msebe and Taimon Mvula while one of the biggest transfers went to Diamonds in the form of Kuda Mahachi.
There won’t be any Khama Billiat when Yadah travel to the Colliery to face a full of surprises Chipangano.
They lost almost a dozen players and have been building quietly with goalkeeper Bheki Ncube who was at Caps United last year among the big names. This afternoon’s fixtures could just be what the doctor ordered in terms of the brand of football played but just like yesterday’s encounters the heat may take its toll on the boys.
Fixtures
Today: Manica Diamonds v Simba Bhora (Sakubva Stadium), Highlanders v Dynamos (Barbourfields), Hwange v Yadah Stars (Colliery).
