The big kick off

The domestic football season is set to officially kick off tomorrow with the usual suspect — Dynamos — expected to extend their dominance in the Premiership this year.  It may be anyone’s game and nothing can be taken for granted in this eight-month battle but, it appears a class divide separates the field between the usual suspect and a handful of clubs — ZPC Kariba, Caps United, Highlanders and Harare City — who have been ushered forward as contenders.

Dynamos now under the returning David Mandigora are on a re-building exercise after losing several key players.
But whoever has grand designs on lifting the league title will still find that Dynamos are the team to beat.
Mandigora would find out that dispatching Rodrick Mutuma to Caps United also means throwing a huge amount of goals out of the window but the arrival of Dominic Chungwa from Caps United means Mutuma is unlikely to be missed.
Mark Harrison starts his reign as Caps United head coach with a trip to Ascot Stadium in Gweru to face promoted Whawha on Sunday. Since 2005 the last year they clinched the league title,
expectations have been high but it usually ended in disappointment.

Harrison identified a weakness in his front line after the departure of trusted gunman, Chungwa to Dynamos and brought in Mutuma.
Though, Mutuma can guarantee them 12 to 15 goals  a season, Makepekepe still look two or three players short of being champions as has been the case for the past 10 years.
Harare City — another of Dembare’s neighbours — who tomorrow will square off with new boys Tsholotsho Pirates  at Gwanzura Stadium in the season’s opener is another team that can beat them to the title.
Pound for pound, the Sunshine Boys have the most powerful squad in the league although they still lack a central striker who can guarantee 15 goals in the season.
Other clubs have failed to pocket the title since Motor Action last clinched it in 2010, making it a Dynamos show.

ZPC Kariba might want to challenge at the top this season again but the departure of chief striker, Limited Chikafa, to How Mine has left a gaping hole in their attack.
Saul Chaminuka signed defender, George Magariro, from How Mine but it would appear he no longer has the appetite for hard knocks, putting his body and mind through eight months of football at the highest level.
Highlanders have entrusted Bongani Mafu to dictate the thrust of tactics and the course of Bulawayo giants’ faltering ambition.
Mafu was recruited with the sole mandate of bringing back the glory days for a club which last won the Castle Lager Premiership title back in 2006.
But will the Bosso fans tolerate his tactics?

A string of draws in pre-season would have left them worried that perhaps Mafu is not the right man for the job.
Highlanders travel to Gwanzura Stadium on Saturday to face ZPC Kariba.
Like Caps United, Harare City, ZPC Kariba and Highlanders — FC Platinum, the richest club in the country, have ambitions that currently remain out of reach.
The club which has never lost sleep over financial issues remain the league’s under achievers. How Mine, under the guidance of no-nonsense coach, Luke Masomere, who prefers to be called the “doctor of football “ had a miserable time and looked doomed for much of last season.

But this season they must bounce back and contest the title race after jumping into the transfer bandwagon.
Masomere, just like Taurai Mangwiro will feel the heat if he cannot get off to a flier after their sponsors untied their purses with all their eyes closed. Their expectations are high.
Buffaloes look likely to struggle and have a world of problems to deal with and the club seem to be in disarray. The loss of coach Moses Chunga will also act as a dampener.
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