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. For so long a white elephant in as far as cup games were concerned, PSL struck the richest deal to date as Mbada came to the rescue of fading Zimbabwe football to revive memories of the yesteryear Zifa Cup, Chibuku Trophy, Rothmans shield, BAT Rosebowl, Madison Trophy and the Castle Cup.

Highlanders get the ball rolling in this year’s edition with a seemingly easy clash against minnows Blue Rangers at Barbourfields Stadium tomorrow afternoon. By virtue of being a Zimbabwean powerhouse in football coupled with a tremendous league run in 2012 where the zebra-shirted boys have not lost a single league game, the Kelvin Kaindu-driven Bosso have been bestowed the honour of being favourites. However, Blue Rangers had a better run after they were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the first edition.

Highlanders were shocked by neighbours Zimbabwe Saints 6-5 on penalties in a game played at the Colliery. Interestingly, the Highlanders reserve keeper Munyadzi Diya was the star of the show for Zimbabwe Saints in the dreaded shootout with Bosso assistant coach Bekithemba Ndlovu named man-of-the-match. How times have changed with Bosso trailblazing and Zimbabwe Saints fighting relegation in the lower echelons of Zimbabwe Southern Region Division One football.
Chauya Chikwata lost in the semi-finals to Motor Action.

Bosso will look to skipper Innocent Mapuranga, goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda and consistent performer Eric Mudzingwa for inspiration. Top club scorer Milton Ncube playing an exciting missing striker role will lead the frontline in search of diamonds. Blue Rangers inspired by Erea Phiri and Felix Kuswatuka will pull all the strings necessary to move mountains and shock Bosso in their own backyard.

Chicken Inn takes the football fiesta to emaJahundeni as Gwanda is the venue of their first round clash with struggling Gunners.

Adam Ndlovu leads the Gamecocks in their quest for their first ever silverware in the Premiership against struggling Gunners who need to carry enough ammunition to shoot down the Bulawayo side. Led by a compact defence of Felix Chindungwe, Herbert Dick and Guide Goddard and the enterprising flair of young Kudakwashe Mahachi, the Gamecocks are tipped to flap their way into the quarter-finals if they do not let complacency hit their game plan.

Gunners will be armed with the former Dynamos legend Moses “Bambo” Chunga whose on and off love affair with Chando Kupisa has been revived once again. Chunga will be directing operations from the bench at Gwanda’s Pelandaba Stadium.

A Southern Region clash is on at Maglas stadium where Luke Masomere’s outstanding 2012 season performance sees the asbestos miners lining up a hattrick against the coal miners. In a true Chamber of Mines clash, Shabanie will seek to cement their dominance over the coal miners in 2012 with the nation’s top goalscorer Nelson Mazivisa on the prowl. Hwange will pin their hopes on Rodwell Chinyengetere who has been in devastating form to earn a starting slot in Rahman Gumbo’s Warriors.

Caps United who have been diagnosed with serious relegation aches will need to carry with them enough capsules of painkillers if they are to avoid the agony of being gored by a charging “Trojan Bull” as they travel to Trojan Stadium in Bindura to face Motor Action.

Eric Rosen’s Mighty Bulls have had an inconsistent season but they have a bone to chew with Caps United after their rivalry was fuelled by a change of their home league match against United who later benefited from the later’s defiance by being awarded three (3) points on the table. There is definitely no love lost between the two sides and a humdinger of a match promises to punctuate Trojan Stadium with Rahman Kutsanzira leading the line from the United front and Protasho Kabwe a charging bull for the Mighty Bulls.
Both are former Highlanders wingers.

Moneybags FC Platinum take on Leslie Gwindi’s newboys in the game Harare City at Kariba’s Nyamhunga Stadium hoping for returns on investment. The Mandava-based side has changed the face of Zimbabwean football landscape with large investment into their football project but inconsistence and “interference” into the technical side of their game has allegedly been their major Achilles heel. The Zvishavane based side boast of the best talent on the land and are well financed by the super-rich Mimosa Mines but they have had to scramble for success. Can money really buy success, only time will tell?

Harare City is a modest side. Joel Ngodzo, David Ngoma and Daniel Vheremu will be the cornerstone for Kugona Kunenge Kudada .

The soldiers, Buffaloes from Mutare take on the police side Black Mambas in a game the uniformed sides will bid to out-manouvre and outfox each other at Sakubva Stadium.
Buffaloes, a well-financed side after the discovery of diamond fields in Mutare, is a tricky customer and would like to make it a point that Mbada returns to its roots with a good run in the 2012 edition.

Hardbody of Gweru will be hard-pressed to build bullet proof bodies when they take on Monomotapa at the “bridge”. Yes Beitbridge’s Dulibadzimu Stadium will be the venue for the Mbada Diamond Cup first round match. Interestingly the match will act as a dress rehearsal for Beitbridge’s readiness to see the return of Premiership football to the border town as Tripple B are tipped for promotion in the Central Region.  Monomotapa will seek to erase the memories of losing in the first round in the first edition by dismantling and dispatching the hard bodies.

Mbada Diamond Cup holders Dynamos seemingly got an easy tie against minnows and relegation candidates Quelaton. The Bulawayo-based side is struggling for form in the top-flight and are already strong candidates for the dreaded chop. However, the last kicks of a dying horse are dangerous. Highlanders can testify. It is against this background that Dynamos should be cautious in their approach lest they suffer the humiliation of cup holders sent packing by relegation candidates so early in the tournament.

Farai Sibanda leads his troops in search of glory at the home of Zimbabwean football with Innocent Kutsanzira and Eddie Nkulungo carrying their hopes. Ndumiso Khanye will seek to add steel in their defence as they face their former player Roderick Mutuma and in-form Denver Mukamba. The Harare giants will be spurred on by their rise into the top of the Castle Lager Premiership log standings after the Zifa Appeals Committee awarded them three points for the match against Hwange. The coalminers were forced to play without their coaches after their mentors were assaulted by Dynamos marshals.  The ball has been set.

It’s all systems go in this action-packed weekend where almost all corners of Zimbabwe will witness top-flight football through the benevolence of Mbada Diamonds.