ARMY side Black Rhinos will look to end a five-year jinx when they reignite their rivalry with the Harare giants Dynamos in a Castle Lager Premiership football match at the National Sports Stadium this Sunday.

The two sides, whose rivalry dates back to the early 1980s, are set to meet for the first time since 2019 with Dynamos holding the bragging rights.

Rhinos coach Herbert "Jompano" Maruwa yesterday told The Herald that he was anticipating a tough encounter despite his side finding their winning formula in their last outing against visiting Bulawayo Chiefs when they won 2-1 at Sakubva last weekend.

Maruwa, however, will need to drill his team further as they have not been playing consistently this season. Dynamos, on the other hand, are riding on a four-match winning streak.

"It's not going to be an easy match because Dynamos are currently on a good run. They are enjoying a winning form which comes with an added advantage on their side.

"Besides, they are a good team with a good coach. So we have to approach this game with a bit of caution and we will need maximum concentration to get something out of it.

"We have been impressing upon our players that we are not here to add numbers. We have to find ways to win games consistently. So we are looking forward to this game with a positive mind, just as we have done with the other games" said Maruwa.

Rhinos last won a match against their more fancied opponents in 2017 when Lot Chiunga condemned the Glamour Boys to a 1-0 defeat at the National Sports Stadium.

Maruwa, a former Dynamos assistant coach under Callisto Pasuwa, believes he has had a good record against his former paymasters since he joined Rhinos in 2018.

Maruwa has overseen three draws and lost once under controversial circumstances, with video replays showing that former Dynamos defender Marshal Machazane used his hands to score a late goal in the tough match that eventually ended in 1-2 defeat for Rhinos at the National Sports Stadium in October 2018.

Maruwa is still haunted by that bizarre goal to this day. The youthful coach said he understood the gravity of the duels between Dynamos and Rhinos.

The presence of Stanford "Stix" Mutizwa in the Black Rhinos camp ahead of their clash against giants Dynamos could serve as a stark reminder of the strong rivalry between the two clubs which dates back to the early days of Independence.

Mutizwa, who was a member of the trailblazing "Chauya Chipembere" outfit that won the team's maiden league title in their debut season in the domestic top-flight league in 1984, has been a loyal servant ever since and has been called to offer his services from time to time.

He was in charge of the team when Rhinos last beat Dynamos in 2017 but is now serving as an assistant coach to Maruwa.

"I am happy to have someone like 'Stix' as part of our technical bench. He is someone who has seen it all and is not new when it comes to these big games against Dynamos.

"He has the knowledge and experience that we need and in this case can come in handy by explaining to the boys the importance of the long-standing rivalries. Rhinos versus Dynamos is a derby of some sort and cannot be looked upon as an ordinary match.

"We have seen it over the years. There was a time Dynamos used to bully Rhinos and vice-versa. So we just want to play our normal game and make sure that we win," said Maruwa.

Castle Lager Premiership Fixtures

Saturday: Chicken Inn v Manica Diamonds (Luveve), Yadah v Herentals (Baobab), FC Platinum v Whawha (Mandava), Cranborne Bullets v Bulawayo City (Sakubva), ZPC Kariba v Harare City (Nyamhunga)

Sunday: Triangle v Highlanders (Gibbo), Tenax v CAPS United (Sakubva), Bulawayo Chiefs v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Luveve), Dynamos v Black Rhinos (NSS)

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