Its do or die for the Sables of Zimbabwe as the Zimbabwe National Army Charity Shield reaches its climax.
Action begins at Police Rugby grounds on Saturday where Zimbabwe’s Africa Cup Division 1A future is hanging by a thread unless the Sables beat visiting Uganda.
Defeat for the Zimbabweans will lead to relegation from the Africa Cup Division 1A and from the qualifiers for the 2019 World Cup finals for the first time since 1980.
The Zimbabweans made things difficult for themselves after they lost 61-15 to Kenya in their opening game at Harare Sports Club.
Should Zimbabwe win, they will overtake Uganda into third position ahead of their final game against defending champions Namibia on August 6.
Coach Cyprien Mandenge is brimming with confidence saying the players are aware of the stakes on offer and preparations have been intense.
Mandenge should be warned that he is in danger of becoming the first Sables coach in 36 years to fail to take the Sables to the World Cup qualifiers.
At the same time, the curtain comes down on the Zimbabwe National Army Charity Shield with Highlanders and Harare City battling for the $12,000 on offer for the winners at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.
Harare City coach Moses Chunga said he is not reading much into Highlanders’ current standing on the league table saying they have devised a strategy that will see Bosso fall.
Although Highlanders are top of the table while Harare City are in eighth position, Bambo says that is nothing to talk about as this is a cup final and his players have been in cup finals before.
However, football analyst Shepherd Muchapera said Chunga talks too much with little results on the field of play and should prove that Sunday.
Although he does not like Highlanders, Dynamos supporter, Stephen Mushaninga says the Sunshine City Boys would be lucky to lose by less than a 2-0 margin.
Although the money on offer $12,000 for the winners and $8,000 for the losers is little, in Zimbabwe it is better to have that little than nothing at all.