Highlanders, Dynamos to clash in pre-season friendly

FANS of the two biggest football clubs in the country, Dynamos and Highlanders have a chance to watch their teams in action as early as March 19 in a friendly at the National Sports Stadium as they gear up for the start of the 2017 season.

Emmett Ndlovu, the Highlanders' secretary-general, confirmed that the two clubs had initiated plans for a friendly match, but did not go into details, as he felt giving away too much would jeopardise their arrangement.

Information obtained shows that Bosso and DeMbare will share gate takings from the encounter after expenses, just like they did during the Highlanders' 90-years anniversary celebrations at Barbourfields Stadium in December last year.

"Yes we are working on that, we initiated as the two clubs. At the moment I don't want to jeopardise what we are planning for that game, so I will not speak much," said Ndlovu.

The planning puts in doubt the Royal Cup, a match where Highlanders were meant to play against Manzini Wanderers of Swaziland on the same day.

Ndlovu said they had given organisers of the Royal Cup conditions to be met first before they participate and those putting the tournament together are yet to make a commitment, so Highlanders can go ahead and make other plans.

"We gave them our conditions as a club for us to take part and they still haven't come back to us. Our plans cannot come to a halt because they cannot put their house in order; we cannot wait forever, we are treating them with respect, if nothing is coming from them then we have to plan ahead," Ndlovu said.

A Dynamos and Highlanders encounter is always an eagerly anticipated fixture no matter where and when it is played. Fixtures circulating on WhatsApp even show that Highlanders will play against Dynamos in the opening week of the Premier Soccer League, something the PSL has dismissed, as the fixtures will only be revealed after the annual general meeting on March 18.

The proposed friendly match presents new Highlanders' striker Rodrick Mutuma with an opportunity to punish his former club for terminating his contract six months ahead of its expiry.

Mutuma made his competitive debut for Highlanders in an international friendly against Zambian side Power Dynamos at Luveve Stadium on Tuesday; a match the Zambians won 2-1.