THE first goal in the Battle of Zimbabwe at Barbourfields this afternoon will be the 38th in this epic fixture over the past decade.

Dynamos have scored 23 of the 37 goals, while Highlanders have found the net 14 times.

Bosso have been playing second fiddle to their bitter rivals, whom they have failed to beat in 17 consecutive PSL matches.

In those 17 games, DeMbare have won ten — with the 4-0 victory on April 26, 2009 in which Cuthbert Malajila scored a hat-trick their biggest triumph.

Two goalless stalemates have also been witnessed over the last decade.

The reverse fixture in the 2015 season went 3-2 in Dynamos’ favour at Rufaro, but a dubious offside call by assistant referee Bongani Gadzikwa left Highlanders feeling robbed.

The stats do not make good reading for Bosso, but coach Bongani Mafu insists his team is not losing sleep over history.

“I know about the Dynamos dominance, but reality is there is nothing we can do to change that because it’s cast in history,” he said.

“The only thing we can do is to push hard for a win and hopefully we will come out tops.”

Not that history does not weigh on Mafu’s mind.

“Even if we score an avalanche of goals, it will not change the fact that we have failed to beat them in the last 17 matches,” he conceded.

Perhaps wary of what happened to Bosso at Rufaro earlier this season, Dynamos assistant coach Tonderai Ndiraya is hoping for fair calls from match officials.

“We just have to let the match officials do their job in a friendly environment. It is unnecessary and unsporting to make noise and accuse officials when decisions don’t go your way.

“We hope the Zifa Referees’ Committee will appoint able people to handle the match. It’s not an easy match to handle; it will need somebody with a huge heart, who can control everything on the day and not disadvantage any team,” said Ndiraya.

Mafu reads it differently.

“I don’t want to appear like I am criticising the match officials, but those guys have a role to ensure there is peace at football stadia.

“Imagine if what happened to us at Rufaro had happened to Dynamos? It will be very difficult for anyone to expect their fans to relax and clap hands for the referee.

“We don’t want violence in football and match officials should know that they have a role to play. We can’t be preparing all week long and then just lose a match because of a bad call from the referee,” said Mafu.

With just 21 points, Bosso are in the bottom half of the table, while Dynamos are firmly in the championship equation.

Knox Mtizwa, whose two goals were not enough to subdue Dynamos in the first leg, will once again be expected to lead his team’s hunt for glory.

Despite losing the reverse fixture, Bosso took a positive note in that for the first time since 2006, they scored twice against their bitter rivals.

Veteran striker Obadiah Tarumbwa has shown he still has the touch that once took him to shores yonder in Europe and is also available for selection.

For Dynamos, returnees Takesure Chinyama and Roderick Mutuma are at the disposal of coach David “Yogi” Mandigora, while Chitiyo, who missed the last game against Hwange due to injury, could play a role.

The match will be screened live by SuperSport.

And your referee is . . . controversial!

Sports Reporter

CONTROVERSIAL Bulawayo referee Philani Ncube will take charge of today’s mega PSL clash between Highlanders and Dynamos.

Ncube will be assisted by Salani Ncube and Brighton Nyika.

Although the Zifa Referees Committee refused to divulge the names of the match officials for unexplained reasons, plugged-in sources confirmed Ncube as the man at the centre.

Referees Committee chair Wilfred Mukuna referred questions to secretary-general Tendai Bwanya, whose phone was unreachable.

“Philani Ncube (centre), Salani Ncube and Brighton Nyika are the ones who have been assigned to handle that match,” said an official who declined to be named.

Ncube was in charge of the ill-fated Bob @91 Super Cup semi-final between Bosso and Caps United in March.

He shockingly allowed a Highlanders 71st minute goal to stand despite the fact that the visitors’ goalie Victor Twaliki was being pelted with missiles by suspected Bosso hooligans.

He was also at the centre of controversy in 2013 in a game that yet again involved Highlanders and Caps United.

Ncube awarded Makepekepe a penalty after Simon Munawa had brought down then Green Machine forward Rahman Kutsanzira.

The decision did not go down well with the visitors who protested and mobbed the referee, leading to a four-minute stoppage.

And Ncube overturned his decision to award a penalty.

Any surprises that he is not on the Fifa/Caf panel?

 

Fixtures:

Dongo v Chicken Inn (Vengere), Hwange v How Mine (Colliery), Buffaloes v FC Platinum (Sakubva), Caps United v Harare City (NSS), Highlanders v Dynamos (Barbourfields) (All games start at 3pm).