Highlanders FC opened their pre-season campaign with a 1-0 victory over arch-rivals Dynamos FC at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday afternoon.
Bosso looked eager to strike first, with Never Rauzhi narrowly missing after being set up by Prince Ndlovu—his effort sailing over the bar from just inside the box. Dynamos thought they had broken the deadlock, but their goal was ruled out due to an infringement in the build-up.
The teams went into the break level. The decisive moment came just four minutes after the restart when Benjamin Oluwarotimi Adeogun found the net following a neat assist from Marvin Sibanda.
Bosso nearly doubled their lead in the 76th minute when Prince Ndlovu unleashed a powerful strike from distance, only to see it crash against the upright.
Speaking after the match, Head Coach, Mwaruwari emphasized the importance of a calm mindset:
“We all know this fixture is important for Highlanders and even for Dynamos. I just told the boys to treat it as a pre-season game, and that took the pressure off them. I am happy with what I saw, though we still have a lot of work to do. This makes me feel special,” he said.
While proceeds from the match will benefit the Jairos Jiri Association, the intensity on the pitch was anything but charitable. As always with this historic rivalry, pride and credibility were fiercely contested until the final whistle.