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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
BANTU Rovers players should temporarily forget about their allegiance to Highlanders and concentrate on the job at hand when the two Bulawayo sides clash in a league match at Barbourfields Stadium this Sunday.
Amahlolanyama’s technical bench on the other hand have warned their players against complacency and called for maximum concentration.

The two teams are meeting for the first time this season but for the fourth time in the history of Bantu Rovers with Tshintsha Guluva still looking for their maiden goal past a Highlanders goalkeeper.

They first met in 2009 with Bosso winning 1-0 before the two sides settled for a goalless draw in the return leg. The following year in 2010, the results were the opposite of the previous year, the first leg ending 0-0 while the second ended 1-0 in favour of Highlanders.

With the majority of the two teams’ players having played together at junior and even senior level at Highlanders while also staying in the same suburbs, the match is set to be an exciting one solely for the bragging rights.

It is that sharing of “genes” which Bantu Rovers coach Methembe Ndlovu seems concerned about and wants his players to temporarily forget about their history with Highlanders.

“It’s a fact, given our players’ ages, most if not all of them grew up supporting Highlanders, it could also be the team supported at home by every other family member but for those 90 minutes, I want my players to forget about all that and concentrate on the main job at hand,” said Ndlovu, himself a former Highlanders player and coach. He remains the last coach to have landed the league title for the Bulawayo giants back in 2006.

He added:
“Let’s forget we are playing Bosso, forget that it could be the family team. Let’s get the job done. We are in a very precarious position on the table and it’s just unfortunate that we are playing against an expensively assembled side like Highlanders in terms of quality”.

Despite playing well in their games, the Premiership returnees have continuously found themselves on the receiving end. On Monday, they played to a 1-1 stalemate against Triangle at Luveve Stadium.

As of yesterday, Ndlovu said he had no injury worries and all his players were available for selection.

Highlanders coach Kelvin Kaindu will miss one of his key midfield players, Welcome “Waroowa” Ndiweni, whose vision and passes have been a marvel to watch, despite being perpetually used as a substitute by the coaches.

Ndiweni will be serving a one-match suspension after accumulating three yellow cards.

“Besides Ndiweni, we are also going to miss Rahman Kutsanzira who is still out injured,” said Kaindu.

He said the Sunday derby was a different ball game which needs total concentration on the part of his players.

“We are playing Bantu Rovers for the first time and it’s not going to be an easy match. They have our former players who will naturally want to prove a point or two against us,” said Kaindu.

He concurred that complacency could be their biggest undoing.

“Complacency is one of the weaknesses which makes the team lose. Bantu Rovers like every other team that plays us, will obviously up their game,” said Kaindu.

The league reaches the half way mark this weekend with defeatless ZPC (Kariba) playing host to Bulawayo side Chicken Inn at Gwanzura Stadium in a match that will be beamed live on pay per view channel SuperSport 9.

The Gamecocks are smarting from a 2-1 defeat at the hands of a resurgent Caps United and are odds on favourites to lose against the power producers who have defied all odds in the 14 matches played so far.

Coal miners, Hwange, are still wondering what has suddenly hit them, having dropped nine points in their last three matches. They are on the road to Harare City while the Midlands population will witness the Zvishavane derby when FC Platinum plays host to town favourites, Shabanie Mine.

Fixtures
Tomorrow
ZPC Kariba v Chicken Inn (Gwanzura) SS

Saturday July 12
Harare City vs Hwange (Rufaro) SS
FC Platinum vs Shabanie Mine (Mandava)

Sunday July 13
Caps United vs Dynamos (NSS) SS
Black Rhinos vs How Mine (Rimuka)
Buffaloes vs Chiredzi (Sakubva)
Triangle United vs Chapungu (Gibbo)
Highlanders vs Bantu Rovers (Barbourfields)