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Tadious Manyepo-Sports Reporter

THE last time eternal football rivals Dynamos and Highlanders faced-off in a local football cup final at the iconic Barbourfields Stadium was in November 2007 when the Harare giants earned an extra-time 2-1 win over their hosts to lift the CBZ FA Cup.

Then the CBZ tournament was the premier knock-out competition in the league with the winners also placed to pick up the sole ticket to represent the country in the CAF Confederation Cup.

DeMbare, who were finally rediscovering themselves after a 10-year struggle, including a near encounter with relegation in 2005, were fired-up and opened the scoring through towering striker Sebastian Mutizirwa who has since pursued a different career path in the country’s judiciary.

The late Bosso icon Richard Choruma equalised for the home team to force the match to spill into extra-time where Murape Murape, who went on to be the Soccer Star of the Year that season, ghosted in from the blind side to score the winner for the guests.

Murape Murape is now the head coach of  Real Betis Academy Zimbabwe. One of his Highlanders opponents in that game, Gift Lunga (Jnr), is also in the structures of the same academy’s Bulawayo chapter.

And the same Barbourfields setting will next Monday host the two rivals who face-off in the Presidential Independence Day Trophy final, 15 years after that CBZ FA Cup clash.

While this is not the first time the Presidential Independence Trophy has been held at Barboufields, it is the first between the country’s two biggest teams whose rivalry in the field of play is unmatched in the land.

Bosso have been dominated by DeMbare in this competition and history doesn’t favour them either as they didn’t have any joy in their last Independence Day Trophy final encounter at Barbourfields when they lost to Motor Action some 17 years ago.

But all that has only added to the excitement ahead of the historic Presidential Independence Trophy final pitting DeMbare and their utmost rivals in Bulawayo on April 18.

That the match will wrap-up the main national Independence Day celebrations, which are set for the City of Kings and Queens for the first time in 42 years, has added the glamour to the eagerly-awaited fixture.

Recently appointed Highlanders chief executive, Ronald Moyo, has saluted authorities for their decision to fixture the main celebrations and the subsequent high-profile match at Barbourfields while also preaching the love gospel.

“As Highlanders Football Club, we are very grateful to the Government for their decision to bring, not only the Presidential Independence Day Trophy final to Barbourfields, but the main celebrations of the country’s 42-year-old milestone to the City of Kings and Queens,” said Moyo.

“It is such a noble gesture by the Government to decentralise the celebrations and it is in line with the devolution agenda.

“As Highlanders Football Club, we are very happy and we would like to reiterate that both Dynamos and us, being rivals in the field of play, will both be at home. It is only geographically that Bosso will be playing in familiar territory, at their Barbourfields fortress.

“Fans should know that the rivalry should be limited to the pitch, as everywhere else, we are one people and we are only stronger together.

“We promise the fans an appetising dish of football as we will make sure that our technical department, led by Mandla ‘Lulu’ Mpofu, will field the strongest possible team to do duty on Independence Day.

“We must make this day very special. Remember, this is the first time that we will play Dynamos in a Presidential Independence Trophy final at Barbourfields. So we have to make the day one to remember through dishing out entertaining football.

“We are looking forward to that match, it means a lot for the club and it will be historical and, playing at our fortress, we should win the game. “Already, being a celebratory match, we have to fight and make sure we beat Dynamos to win the cup.

“As Highlanders, we obviously have no option but to win the game against Dynamos. We will need to put on the shift, throw in everything and get to win the match.

“We should use this match to get going as we are eyeing to also continue with our good form in the league,” Moyo said.

This year’s Uhuru Cup final promises to produce fireworks amid reports Sakunda Holdings, who are the two clubs’ sponsors, have poured in attractive offers.

While the Premier Soccer League breaks for the Easter and Independence Day holidays, top-flight teams have given their players some days to rest. But for DeMbare and Bosso, it is business as usual as the two teams aim to outwit each other and lay their hands on the prestigious crown.