HIGHLANDERS coach Kelvin Kaindu is bidding to lift the inaugural $110,000 TM Pick n Pay Challenge Cup when they face off bitter rivals Dynamos at the National Sports Stadium on Saturday.
Bosso have not beaten Dynamos since 2006 when they completed a double over the Harare giants and went on to win their last league title.
Making it more painful for Highlanders this year is that they have finished as runners up to champions Dynamos in the past two seasons.
The Harare giants have also emerged victorious again this season in their back to back clashes against Bosso winning by identical 1-0 score line.
Speaking at the unveiling of the TM Pick n Pay Challenge Cup this week, Kaindu said the challenge cup was an opportunity for them to revenge.
“This is an opportunity for us for revenge against our rivals. If you look at the games we have been playing we have been trying to come right.
“Slowly we are heading somewhere. But this is a cup final … a cup final. This is a cup final,” he stressed.
“As Highlanders we don’t rely on history. We will play our normal game and come Saturday we are going to win this cup,” declared Mapuranga.
Dynamos chairman Kenni Mubaiwa promised not to disappoint their sponsors and urged their supporters to come in large numbers and support them to lift the cup.
“We promise we are not going to disappoint the sponsors and am urging all our supporters to come in large numbers and see us lifting this cup,” said Mubaiwa.
Although the two rivals will battle it out in this challenge cup, the other 14 teams in the topflight league will also be rewarded with $5,000 cash without kicking a ball because the PSL board of governors resolved that challenge or friendly matches could not be played during the course of the league programme.
The board, chaired by Twine Phiri, said such games could only happen before or at the end of the season and that if they were to be played during the course of the league programme, it has to involve all the teams in the top-flight league not just two teams.
Winners of the Challenge Cup will walk away with $60,000 while runners-up will pocket $50,000. The outstanding player of the afternoon will also be rewarded with a $2,000 award.
Highlanders representatives who were flown to Harare for the unveiling ceremony will also be flown to the capital on Friday with both teams set to be booked at the five star hotel a day before the epic clash.
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