By Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWEAN football powerhouses Highlanders and Dynamos will renew their rivalry when they clash in the Independence Trophy Final, popularly known as the Uhuru Cup at Barbourfields Stadium on Monday.
In addition to the bragging rights which are always on the line whenever the two teams cross swords, a lot will be at stake when the two giants of local football clash.
This year’s edition of the Uhuru Cup will be bankrolled by energy giants Sakunda Holdings who have promised lucrative bonuses for the winners.
Sakunda Holdings are also the principal sponsors of both Highlanders and Dynamos.
With the stakes high ahead of the match, Dynamos coach Tonderai Ndiraya revealed that he will be fielding his strongest squad.
“This is a cup final against Highlanders, who are our biggest rivals so it’s obviously an important match for this club. This is not the time to rest players, but to be competitive and show respect to the occasion. We will field the strongest possible squad,” Ndiraya said.
“We understand the importance of the cup. We are the current holders so we are very eager to take the cup to Bulawayo and bring it back to Harare. Hopefully, we can do that. It’s a game that we are taking seriously, a competition that is very important to us as a team because of what it represents.”
Dynamos are the defending champions after beating the same opponent 2-0 at the National Sports Stadium last year.
Highlanders won the coveted trophy in 2019 and the competition was not held in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country hard with all sporting activities suspended.
Highlanders captain Ariel Sibanda said he was looking forward to a positive outcome for his team on Monday.
“I am looking forward to having a positive result on Monday. We have forgotten about what is in the past; it’s the past. We want to have the cup here in Bulawayo,” Sibanda said.
“We are preparing very well. It is going to be a difficult game but we have to make it a point that we make our community happy. We know what is at stake and it is going to be a good game.”
The two participants went into camp on Saturday ahead of the high profile encounter.
