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By Eddie Chikamhi
and Grace Chingoma
HARARE giants Dynamos, who left their faithful craving for more after a scintillating show in a Harare Derby against CAPS United on Sunday, are set for a high-profile challenge match against Highlanders at Rufaro this Sunday.
The duel, dubbed Venture for Victory Challenge, is being organised by a local company called Hexagon Sports Management and has a total sponsorship package of about US$100 000.
Winners will get the opportunity to play South African Premiership side Kaizer Chiefs at the National Sports Stadium on March 27.
Hexagon Sports Management pro-ject co-ordinator Fungai Zinatsa yesterday confirmed the challenge match but refused to confirm Chiefs’ availability as negotiations were still going on with the South African side.
“I can confirm there is going to be a soccer challenge featuring three teams and one of them is coming from South Africa.
“Dynamos and Highlanders are the two local sides and will play in a knockout match at Rufaro this Sunday with winners to meet the visiting team in the final on March 27.
“We are still negotiating and we can only confirm the South African team once we have something in writing.
“We had worked out the ticket prices using last season’s normal gate entry charges, which is US$3 for the rest of the ground,” said Zinatsa.
Both Dynamos and Highlanders ca-mps were excited by the opportunity to clash ahead of the new season.
Dynamos chairman Farai Munetsi said they were looking forward to ano-ther good result after winning five of their last preparatory games and dra-wing one against Blue Ribbon.
Munetsi said he has faith in Lloyd Mutasa’s team after watching the side turn on a superb passing game to beat CAPS United 3-2 in the Bob 87 Super Cup last Sunday.
The Dynamos players this week received fat pay cheques in bonuses after pocketing around US$1 000 each from the share of the US$55 000 the club got for winning the Bob 87 Super Cup, on top of the salaries which were due yesterday.
“We are playing good football and it’s good that we engage such big teams as Highlanders to see how much progress we have made in our preparations,” said Munetsi.
The DeMbare chairman said the club was eager to put behind memories of the disturbances that rocked the teams’ meetings last season that put both sides in bad light after two of their matches were abandoned at Barbourfields because of rising tempers and crowd trouble.
“It was unfortunate but we are now opening a new chapter to bury the past. We want to thank the sponsors for this match for giving us this platform.
“People out there should understand that football is about friendship and we want to use this match to show that we are brothers and that football should always be the winner at the end of the day,” said Munetsi.
Highlanders secretary Andrew Ta-pela said the club was rebuilding after losing several key players during the off season and will use the challenge match as a platform to lift their preparations a gear up.
Bosso lost players such as Protasho Kabwe, Mernard Mupera, Ngodzo brothers Joel and Zephaniah, Simba Gate and Francis Kanda.
Coach Mkuphali Masuku and his assistants are working hard to come up with a winning side. Masuku led the club’s revival towards the end of the season after replacing Egyptian Mohammed Fathy and Tapela believes
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progress had been disrupted by the departure of some of the players.
“Our club suffered from poachers who raided us during the off-season. But we will survive. The team has been in existence since 1926 and we are still going strong.
“We are rebuilding and on Sunday we are going to field a strong team.
“We want to promote the spirit of good football and we are taking this challenge match seriously. We just hope the spirit of fair play prevails,” said Tapela.
Meanwhile, the Dynamos Supporters Association, which has been operating with two factions for the past two seasons, have resolved their differences and agreed to speak with one voice again.
At the weekend they held their national elections and Philemon Bonde was voted in as the national president.
He replaces Richmond Bonongwe, who has relocated to Beitbridge, making him ineligible to remain in the seat.
Bonde, who was the Harare Chapter chairman, has given way to Felix Dzukwa at the branch level.
The Harare Chapter will meet tomorrow at the Rufaro boardroom at 6pm.
Dzukwa said the meeting would discuss the new season.
“We are mobilising support for our team and we should not miss any of our team’s away matches. And if we reach the Champions League mini-league, and we are drawn against teams in the region, we should also be able to attend all these matches.
“This season looks promising for us. We have a new coach and young players who are playing passing football and should win the league this year. So, as supporters, we should do our bit, support the players and obviously they will do well,” said Dzukwa.
The supporters also called on the executive to rally behind the technical team and give Mutasa time to build a competitive side.
“As supporters our duty is to give morale to the boys and not to meddle into club politics or the technical team. We plead with the executive to give the coaches’ time and they should resolve their differences with Highfield United and bring back Washington Arubi because we still need him,” said Dzukwa.

Dynamos Harare Chapter Supporters Association
Chairman – Felix Dzukwa
Vice-chairman – Khain Nyambuya
Secretary-general – Admire Kandeya
Treasurer – Tryagain Gutu
Committee Members – George Gwaze, Elisha Kaimba, Thomas Marira, Molleen Macheme
Security – Abel Mbada, Perkins Chimhini
Public Relations – Winchester Mulizane
Transport co-ordinator- Takesure Majoni.