Eddie Chikamhi and Innocent Kurira

THE joke in town yesterday was “PSL survive Dynamos exit”.

The same could have applied to Highlanders.

That just goes to show how big the two are to Zimbabwean football.

Both sides registered draws against FC Platinum and Chicken Inn, respectively, earning a point each that helped them survive relegation yesterday.

DeMbare played a goalless draw at Rufaro while Bosso had to come from behind to force a 1-1 draw at Barbourfields.

While Kelvin Kaindu praised God and his players for giving a big fight for DeMbare to survive, Highlanders coach Pieter de Jongh questioned the quality of his players and said this was not his team, but a “Kaindu team” — an early signal that the rivalry between two of the biggest teams in Zimbabwe will continue next year.

At Rufaro, ecstatic scenes gripped the stadium after Dynamos’ survival was confirmed on the last day of the 2025 Castle Lager Premiership campaign.

Euphoric Dynamos supporters broke into song and dance, relieved their team had averted a disaster.

Such was the supporters’ agony that they had to pressure referee Thabani Rozario to conclude the match in added time, with the impatient among them expressing their feelings through jeering and throwing missiles.

Dynamos coach Kaindu was all smiles after completing the script for the giants’ survival, although he reckoned it was not proper for a club like DeMbare to be celebrating surviving relegation.

The Zambian gaffer transformed Dynamos’ fortunes with an 11-match unbeaten run that lifted them from 17th place to finish on 12th position in one of the fiercest relegation dogfights in recent years.

They finished on 39 points along with fellow giants Highlanders and 2015 champions Chicken Inn.

Triangle and Manica Diamonds were also confirmed on the final day on 38 points apiece. But the prospects were not so bright for GreenFuel (37), Bikita Minerals (37) and Yadah (35), who joined Kwekwe United in relegation.

From the start of his tenure, Dynamos coach Kaindu had said his team needed a miracle after inheriting a haplessly struggling side in the bottom echelons of the table.

“First of all, it was a very difficult decision for me to make to come and join Dynamos, looking at the position where Dynamos was,” he told journalists yesterday.

“I think I had about three or four clubs that probably wanted me to join them. But I looked at Dynamos and the points that they had.

“One important thing is that sometimes when you are a child of God, you move in the direction of God. And the Lord says, go to Dynamos. I looked at the way the Lord goes.

“Honestly, I think this is a miracle. There are people who say there is no miracle in football. But what we have witnessed today for Dynamos to survive, honestly, it’s a miracle,” Kaindu said.

Although FC Platinum enjoyed much of the ball, passing it around with confidence in both halves, both sides had some decent chances to break the deadlock which they fluffed.

FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza was in charge for the last time after it was confirmed yesterday that he was leaving the former champions.

“I’m stepping down from my post as head coach of FC Platinum, so this is my last game today. I’ve been at FC Platinum for the past ten and a half years. I think what I didn’t do, I don’t have to explain to anybody. But this is my last game for FC Platinum today, so I’m stepping down,” said Mapeza.

At Barbourfields, Chicken Inn struck first when Brian Muza guided in a Michael Charamba cross after 26 minutes. Highlanders responded seven minutes into the second half through Andrew Mbeba, who bent a fine free kick into the top corner from the edge of the area.

Highlanders coach Pieter De Jongh said he had completed his rescue job but made it clear that many of the players he inherited are nowhere near the standard required at Barbourfields.

“There was no skill and there was no fighting spirit. Chicken Inn have better players than us. The team has no quality. Some of the players are not Highlanders quality,” said de Jongh.

“I wrote it the first time I came that there is no quality. Some of the players lack the Highlanders spirit. I came here with the mission to save the team and I have done it. Remember this is not my team but that of Kelvin Kaindu.

“To play for Highlanders you need the fight and spirit which is not there in this present squad. The first week I arrived I told the executive about the quality of the team,” said De Jongh.

Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas was simply relieved.

“It was a highly charged game, a highly charged atmosphere. I am happy that we survived and I am happy that both teams will still be in the Premiership and we will be able to play again next year and compete,” said Antipas.

“It was a game that both teams wanted to win, we wanted to win and Highlanders wanted the same thing. It was an entertaining game for the fans, last game of the season, so we just have to close up the season knowing that both teams are in the Premiership and both teams need to do some work for the coming season.”