A BATTLE between Highlanders and Dynamos set for Barbourfields Stadium provides the marquee clash of the opening weekend of the 2024 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League campaign as both teams look to start well in their attempts to end their decade-long title drought.
The top-flight league fixtures for the new season, which gets underway on the first weekend of March, were released yesterday.
The Battle of Zimbabwe will headline the bumper opening weekend, which will also see 2016 champions Caps United host 2015 league winners Chicken Inn, FC Platinum playing debutants Chegutu Pirates, while defending champions Ngezi Platinum Stars take on newbies Arenel Movers.
But the most eye-catching fixture of the opening weekend will be in Bulawayo, where returning Kelvin Kaindu begins his second spell as Highlanders coach, against a Dynamos side under Genesis Mangombe, with both sides looking to end their long league title drought.
It is quite rare for such a box office fixture to be staged on the opening weekend of the season, and there is no doubt this clash could set the tone on how each team will perform the rest of the season.
Highlanders need to bounce back after last season’s disastrous campaign in which they started well and looked well on course to end their 17-year wait for the title, but ran out of steam to eventually finish fifth.
Dynamos, who last won the league title in 2014, had a fairly good campaign last year, finishing third in the race for the championship, but managed to win the Chibuku Super Cup, which provided respite for Mangombe, who took over the reins midway through the season.
So this will be two teams with so much to prove.
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And then there is Kaindu, back at Bosso and desperate to win his first game against a team that agonisingly denied him twice the league glory in his earlier stints with the Bulawayo giants back in the years.
Kaindu’s Highlanders finished as league runners-up twice, losing on goal difference to Dynamos on both occasions.
In the other big match of the opening weekend, Joseph Tulani will go head to head with his former boss Lloyd Chitembwe when Caps United host Joey Antipas’ Chicken Inn.
It will be an emotional start to life at the GameCocks for the lanky midfielder, who was United’s vice-captain last year before switching base to Bulawayo.
The two sides are both looking for a revival after a horrible campaign last year.
Caps United, who made 11 changes to their playing personnel, spent the better part of last year fighting relegation, while Chicken Inn also finished in mid-table.
The club reacted by firing coach Prince Matore and reappointed Joey Antipas, who won them their only league trophy in 2015.
Last season’s runners-up Manica Diamonds host big spenders Simba Bhora in their opener, in yet another mouthwatering duel that is sure to sparkle.
Coach Takesure Chiragwi and his Ngezi Platinum Stars will start their title defence on the road against newly-promoted side Arenel Movers.
Another newly-promoted side, Chegutu Pirates host former champions FC Platinum on the opening weekend, while TelOne will kick off their first season back in the premier league with a long trip to ZPC Kariba.
Tendai Chikuni’s men will be hoping to make a strong start on their return to the topflight to ease any early fears about an immediate relegation back to the second tier division.
Eastern Region Premier League winners are yet to be confirmed due to the ongoing promotion saga between Tenax and Bikita Minerals.
Ngezi Platinum host FC Platinum in the first platinum derby on match day two, while the first big Harare derby of the season between Dynamos and Caps United takes place on match day 12.
Highlanders welcome Chicken Inn in the Bulawayo derby on match day seven.
Venues for the matches are yet to be announced as the newly constituted First Instance Board is currently assessing the country’s stadia.
