Dynamos and Caps to Unleash New Players in Sino-Zimbabwe Cup Clash

  • Michael Kariati

Dynamos players celebrating their success in the 2014-2015 soccer season.

The guessing game on what defending champions Dynamos and bitter rivals Caps United will look like this season comes to an end Sunday when their fans get the opportunity to watch their new crop of heroes.

The two teams’ fans have been playing a guessing game on who will feature for their teams this season.

Dembare and Makepekepe will unleash their new signings in the $25,000 Sino-Zimbabwe Challenge Cup which will also be the real tests for their new coaches David Mandigora and Mark Harrison.

A lot has changed at the two rival clubs during the off season.

The first being the coming in of coach Mandigora in place of the departed Kalisto Pasuwa and the same happening at the Green Machine where Harrison has replaced Taurayi Mangwiro who has crossed the floor to Harare City.

Both teams have also lost a number of their star players with Dembare losing Devon Chafa, Tafadzwa Rusike, Roderick Mutuma and Thomas Magorimbo.

The Green Machine have on their part lost Kennedy Mulaji, Dominic Chungwa and soccer star of the year finalists Tendai Samanja.

What is interesting is the fact that Caps United have benefitted from Dynamos by signing Mutuma while Dynamos have taken away from Caps United Bulaji and Chungwa.

The winners of the Challenge Cup will receive $15,000 while the runners up will get $10,000 but Caps United spokesperson Joyce Kapota is not worried about the threat that Dynamos poses.

She's is more concerned with the match officiating which she says has been problematic before.

The two teams met three times last season. Dynamos won two of the matches with the other one ending in a draw.

However, Dynamos’ goalkeepers coach Gift Muzadzi is not reading much into that. He says this is a new game altogether.

"This is a new season, a new game so we will have to see how it goes Sunday," said Muzadzi.

Newly appointed Caps United coach Mark Harrison will have his first test of the Harare derby and is aware of what is on offer. He says he is here to win every game even if it is a friendly match.

Last season, Caps United did Dynamos a favour after the Green Machine beat then league leaders ZPC Kariba 3-2 on the last day of play to hand Dembare the league title.

But that friendship began and ended there as both teams desperately need the $15,000 on offer especially during this off season period when there is no income to talk of.