It is a potentially explosive game.

 

The two teams meet while walking on a totally different patch of fortunes, with DeMbare being involved in a breathtaking two-horse race for the big prize with Highlanders while the coalminers are gasping for oxygen in the Premier League with only six games to go.

The Glamour Boys are invading the coal mining town with their tails up after an emphatic 4-1 victory over Shabanie Mine last weekend while Hwange were thrashed 0-2 by Black Mambas at Morris Depot last Wednesday, the sixth straight defeat.
Under fire Hwange coach Nation Dube knows what is at stake tomorrow but threatened to roast the Harare giants in the blazing coal embers.

“We are waiting for Dynamos with everything we have at our disposal as we want to show them that we don’t fight outside the stadium but inside. We are football people and we will not box them unlike what they did to us.

“We are going for a win and nothing else so that we move away from that position on the log table as we are treating every game like our last game.” said Dube.

In a snap survey, some Hwange fans were optimistic that the coalminers would come good tomorrow.

“We will never be relegated as some people are saying and we are beating Dynamos tomorrow. It is them who have more pressure and we are playing at home and will make full use of that,” said Vemani Shoko, a taxi driver.
Promise Mudenda, an airtime vendor at No 1 terminus, echoed Shoko’s words.

“We will use our home ground advantage to the fullest as we start the survival march. Hwange is a big name in Zimbabwe football hence we will show DeMbare what we are made of. I would be happy to have people like Marlvern Longwe and Gilbert Zulu starting the game,” he said.

Gibbs Hari declared it will be Hwange fans doing the Zora Butter dance instead.

“At the end of the game it will be Hwange doing the Zora Butter dance because tirikuzora butter DeMbare yacho.” he said.
Some well known Dembare fans were however singing from a different hymn book as they vowed that their team’s juggernaut would roll past the coalminers.

“DeMbare is coming to Hwange to double zora butter. The coal is black but it will be covered all over by butter at the end of the day on Sunday.” said the vocal George “Zomora” Chihanga, also a player with Hwange Division One outfit Project Warriors.

“I am sorry to say that it will be Armageddon for the home side as I am predicting a 3-0 win for the Glamour Boys,” said another DeMbare faithful Fungai Mukwekwe.

Hwange will be missing midfielder Farai Vimisai through suspension after picking up three yellow cards. Gilbert Zulu and Franscisco Zvikumbawire are expected to pass late fitness tests as they picked up some knocks.

To show how serious the coalminers are treating this make or break game, the Colliery’s acting managing director Stanford Ndlovu, also a football enthusiast, met the players before their morning training session yesterday.

Ndlovu had words of encouragement to the boys and urged the lads to fight tooth and nail to win tomorrow’s epic duel.

It will the second game in charge for Dube after Zambian expatriate Tennant Chilumba opted out last week and decided to concentrate on junior football development.

The two teams’ first meeting in the capital ended 4-2 in favour of Dynamos and this was after some Dynamos marshals turned the tunnel into a boxing arena assaulting coaches Dube and Mebelo Njekwa. Hwange appealed and the PSL disciplinary committee ruled that the game be replayed at a neutral venue.

Dynamos in turn appealed to the Zifa Appeals Committee who then ruled in their favour, forcing the Premier Soccer League to reinstate the three points deducted after the disciplinary committee decision.  Hwange have since appealed to the Commercial Arbitration Centre and the case is yet to be heard.

The bruising battle is on tomorrow and the home team is likely to enjoy a lot of support from the Highlanders supporters based here.

Hwange are perched dangerously on 12th position with 26 points from 24 games while DeMbare lead the pack with 55 points from same number of games.

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