Highlanders and Dynamos will renew Zimbabwe’s biggest football rivalry in the closing event of the Kuzana Sport and Creative Economy Expo, with the two giants scheduled to meet at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo on 11 October.
The match will form part of Highlanders’ centenary celebrations and will bring the five-day expo to a close. The event, which runs from 7 to 11 October, is intended to place sport, arts and culture at the centre of Zimbabwe’s drive to create jobs, attract investment and expand the contribution of creative industries to the economy.
Nicholas Nyathi, vice-chairman of the Highlanders 100 Years Celebrations, said the club had joined hands with the Ministry of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture to stage the fixture and support the inaugural expo.
“We would like to thank the Government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Sport for partnering us to host the Kuzana event which is also part of our 100 Years Celebrations. We are excited to have a match of this magnitude to celebrate our 100 years and also support SCEEZ,” said Nyathi.
The organisers expect the encounter to draw a large crowd to Barbourfields, where the two clubs have repeatedly produced some of the most intense and heavily attended matches in the domestic game. The fixture carries the familiar contest for bragging rights, but its place in the centenary programme gives it an added significance for Highlanders and their supporters.
Highlanders had hoped to bring either Democratic Republic of Congo giants TP Mazembe or South Africa’s Orlando Pirates to Bulawayo for one of the club’s centenary events. Those plans did not materialise, but a meeting with Dynamos offers a domestic occasion of comparable competitive weight. The rivalry between Bosso and DeMbare has remained one of the defining fixtures of Zimbabwean football, regardless of the clubs’ position in the league at the time of the match.
The expo is being held under the theme, “From Talent to GDP: Driving Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 through Sport and Creative Industries.” Athletes, musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and corporate organisations are expected to attend. The programme includes exhibitions, workshops, masterclasses, business meetings and sporting activities, with discussions focused on professionalisation, intellectual property, funding, marketing, technology and commercial partnerships.
The official SCEEZ programme describes the event as a platform connecting talent, capital, brands, institutions and audiences. Its stated purpose is to help sport and creative work move beyond public visibility towards income, investment, business growth and national economic contribution. The Zimbabwe International Trade Fair grounds will host the wider programme, while Barbourfields will provide the setting for the football showcase.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected to open the expo on 9 October, two days before the Highlanders–Dynamos match. The football game is intended to provide the closing spectacle after delegates and participants have spent the week examining how Zimbabwe’s sporting and creative sectors can support economic growth.
The timing of the fixture will also bring the country’s two traditional giants together at a moment of pressure for both clubs. Their status and history remain powerful, but recent events have exposed the financial and administrative demands facing teams that rely heavily on supporters, benefactors and short-term backing.
Highlanders’ players staged a training boycott earlier this year after reported arrears of two months’ salaries and unpaid winning bonuses. The protest disrupted preparations for a league meeting with Dynamos and was the second such action by the squad during the season. The players’ action highlighted the gap between the huge public following enjoyed by the club and the regular income needed to run a professional football operation.
The Bulawayo club has also depended on outside assistance to meet immediate obligations. A pledged donation of US$1 million from businessman Sir Wicknell Chivayo was intended to support the club during the 2025 season. A second tranche of US$250,000 brought the amount received at that stage to US$500,000. The money was used for players’ welfare, including winning bonuses, travel expenses and match allowances, while some funds were directed towards training pitches and a perimeter wall at the Highlanders clubhouse.
Dynamos have faced their own setback on the continental stage. The club was expelled from the 2026 Confederation Cup after failing to settle outstanding salary payments owed to former coach Saul Chaminuka. The debt was reported at nearly US$13,000, and a partial payment was not enough to meet the full settlement required before the deadline. Dynamos’ exclusion also cost the Chibuku Super Cup winners a minimum of US$100,000 in preliminary-round participation fees.
That episode removed Dynamos from a competition long associated with the club’s identity and with Zimbabwean representation in Africa. In earlier years, the Harare side regularly carried the country’s hopes in the Champions League and other continental competitions. More recently, Zimbabwe’s representatives have included Ngezi Platinum Stars, Simba Bhora and Scottland, underlining the changing balance of power in the Premier Soccer League.
Scottland’s rise has been one of the clearest signs of that change. Newer clubs have entered the top-flight environment with stronger commercial ambitions and greater access to private investment. Hardrock have also emerged as serious challengers. Their chairman has been involved in discussions with Benfica in Portugal, a sign of the international partnerships and business networks that are increasingly shaping the local game.
The contrast has placed Highlanders and Dynamos under pressure to modernise. Both clubs have deep community roots, famous histories and supporters who see them as institutions rather than ordinary football teams. Yet the cost of salaries, travel, facilities, player development, compliance and continental participation cannot be met by nostalgia alone. The challenge is to preserve the identity of the clubs while building structures that can generate dependable revenue.
On the pitch, the rivalry has remained competitive. Highlanders recently lost 1–0 to Hardrock at Barbourfields after Washington Navaya scored in the 74th minute. The result strengthened Hardrock’s title hopes and left Highlanders looking for a response. Dynamos, meanwhile, recorded a 1–0 win over Herentals in the same round, despite receiving a late red card.
The two clubs had also drawn 2–2 in their earlier league meeting at Rufaro Stadium. The narrow gap between them in the table has added importance to every encounter, while the latest results have given both sets of supporters fresh reasons to demand improvement before the centenary match.
Suspensions have already affected the clubs during the current league programme. Highlanders were without Never Rauzhi for the Matchday 29 meeting with Hardrock. Dynamos were also missing Collin Mujuru and captain Shadreck Nyahwa. Other suspended players included Ralph Kawondera of Herentals, Junior Makunike of Chicken Inn, Valentine Katsande of MWOS, Allen Mukombedzi of CAPS United and Godfrey Muchenje of FC Platinum.
By October, the line-ups may be different, but the demands will be familiar. Highlanders will want the match to honour a century of history in front of a full Barbourfields. Dynamos will arrive determined to deny their rivals a perfect celebration and claim another important chapter in the Battle of Zimbabwe.
For SCEEZ, the match is also a test of whether a major sporting occasion can become more than entertainment. The expo’s organisers want the football showcase to demonstrate the ability of sport to create jobs, attract sponsors, support small businesses and connect Zimbabwean talent with investment. On 11 October, the noise from Barbourfields will provide the most visible measure of that ambition.
The contest will therefore carry two messages at once. It will celebrate the history that made Highlanders and Dynamos household names, while exposing the economic choices that will determine whether those institutions remain competitive in the years ahead. At the final whistle, one club will have the result and the bragging rights. The larger task will remain for both: turning loyalty, talent and history into a sustainable future.