BULAWAYO City are hoping for an improved performance to ignite their faint hopes of surviving relegation when they host Harare football giants Dynamos in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League at Barbourfields Stadium at the weekend.
The Bulawayo side is second from the bottom, with 27 points with only four matches and a return to the lower division beckons.
But they won their last match, the derby against Bulawayo Chiefs to give them belief that they can pull themselves out of danger with a victory over the biggest fish in the sea, the Glamour Boys.
Coach Farai Tawachera says they are aware a defeat to Dynamos would further complicate their situation but insisted they would fight to the bitter end.
City held Dynamos to a 1-1 stalemate in the reverse fixture in Harare at a time when DeMbare were in the race for the championship.
“That was then. A lot has happened between now and then. It’s a new game at a different stage of the competition and come Saturday, everything will be new. So, history doesn’t hold anything,” Tawachera said.
“I know City always give Dynamos a good fight but this is a new game. In football anything is very possible. We are just concentrating on Saturday's game, nothing beyond that and we take one game at a time.”
The coach credited the team hierarchy for keeping morale in the camp and financial support despite the struggles on the field.
- Inside Sport: Local stadiums in urgent need of attention
- Panashe Mutasa comes of age at Tenax FC
- Dynamos back to winning ways
- Ndiraya backs Antonio to impress in Belgium
Keep Reading
“We have to win our games; that is the only solution. Management is doing what they can in these trying times. The win against Bulawayo Chiefs boosted our confidence, otherwise we would have been relegated if we had lost that one,” Tawachera said.
“Still, it gave us hope and belief that it’s possible. But playing Dynamos at BF is always a big challenge. Everyone knows this and we aren't an exception, but we promise to give it our best and let the neutral supporters come and watch good football come Saturday.”
After the clash with Dynamos, City face ZPC Kariba away, Harare City at home and Black Rhinos away.
ZPC Kariba (32 points) and Harare City (28 points) are also not safe from demotion.
Harare City, placed 15th on the table face Manica Diamonds (away), WhaWha, (home), Bulawayo City (away) and Highlanders (home).
Tenax, also on 28 points, are away to Triangle at the weekend before hosting Ngezi and then travel to Cranborne Bullets before facing city rivals Manica Diamonds.
WhaWha, with one foot in Division One, are home to ZPC Kariba; then Harare City (away), Black Rhinos (home) and conclude the campaign at Ngezi Platinum.
- Follow Fortune on Twitter @fmbele
