FORMER Highlanders captain Dazzy Kapenya says jinxes should be broken and current players at the Bulawayo giants should have the zeal to achieve that feat when Bosso clashes with Dynamos in a league match at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
FORTUNE MBELE SPORTS REPORTER
Kapenya, who won the league title with Bosso four times in succession from 1999 to 2002, said he remembered vividly the year when Highlanders beat Dynamos 2-0 at Barbourfields Stadium in 1999. He said a game against the league champions does not rely on coaches, but players themselves.
This is the eighth year that Highlanders have failed to beat Dynamos in a league match with the last victories being the back-to-back 1-0 victories at Rufaro Stadium and 2-0 at Barbourfields Stadium when Bosso last won the league title under coach Methembe Ndlovu.
“It’s a game that is (no longer) difficult to predict. I don’t know what happens with our players when we play Dynamos. Whether they get intimidated by the fans or they are just timid (is not clear). Jinxes should be broken. I think the coaches are doing their best and these encounters belong more to the players than the coaches. All we can do as former players and supporters is to cheer from outside. Players are the ones who should have that zeal to break that jinx,” Kapenya said.
Kapenya, crowned soccer star of the year in 2002, said any game against Dynamos would be self-motivating and he admired the DeMbare players and their fans when it came to the big matches, saying enthusiasm was lacking in Bosso players as compared to their counterparts.
“When we played games like these in our days, they were self-motivated. We did not need the coaches. As a player you should assess yourself ahead of such games because there is no bigger stage to showcase yourself in the local league than when you play against Dynamos. But Dynamos will always be more motivated and they have always dominated (Bosso),” the former Warriors centre-back said.
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He said he wondered why Highlanders played a better game than Dynamos especially in Harare, but always came out second best.
“I don’t know. Maybe our players would be under pressure from fans. They play well in Harare, but results don’t come. But with the way things are at the moment, it would (not be too) difficult to predict the result of the game on Sunday. Dynamos have always dominated us and I think the best result would be a draw. A win will be a bonus for Highlanders,” Kapenya said.
Bosso head coach Kelvin Kaindu has played second fiddle to Dynamos boss Kalisto Pasuwa since he joined Highlanders in 2012, narrowly losing the title in that year and last season on goal difference.
Highlanders are second on the log standings with 21 points, one behind Hwange after the 1-1 draw against Triangle at Gibbo Stadium in Chiredzi on Sunday.
But the pressure on Sunday will definitely be on the champions Dynamos, who dropped to position five on Sunday with 19 points, following their 0-1 loss to Hwange at the Colliery.
Fixtures Tomorrow: Chapungu v Harare City (Ascot Stadium SS9)
Saturday: Bantu Rovers v Buffaloes (Luveve Stadium), Black Rhinos v Triangle United (Rimuka SS9)
Sunday: Dynamos v Highlanders (National Sports Stadium SS9), Hwange v Chicken Inn (Colliery), How Mine v FC Platinum (Luveve), Shabanie Mine v ZPC Kariba (Maglas), Chiredzi v Caps United (Chishamiso)
