All roads should — this afternoon — be leading to Rufaro Stadium for the Castle Challenge Cup — the traditional season opener of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.
In the fray are the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title holders, Scottland, and Chibuku Super Cup champions, Dynamos, two teams with the famous blue and white playing strip.
One of them will certainly have to forego their traditional colours because they can't both be wearing blue and white colours on this Sunday or any other day they meet.
One football fan jokingly said that the team that will change colours will not be Dynamos because the popular Harare giants are limited in their choice of an alternative playing kit.
Surely, this match is of high stakes considering the rivalry between the two teams and a huge crowd is expected to be at Rufaro Stadium.
We hope that Zifa were spot-on in their choice of referees because this match can stir emotions should the match officials fail to handle it well.
Referees should not spoil what looks like a fun-filled afternoon for the football family by making decisions that will kill the entertainment value of the game itself.
We have referees who have done well across the continent and those should be assigned to handle this high stakes game instead of experimenting with rookies or those who have questionable records.
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The supporters too should not turn to hooliganism because referees can also make mistakes as human era is common even among the best referees the world over.
The security details should be on the lookout for those who cause chaos so that they can be arrested and prosecuted because hooliganism has no place in football.
If they are allowed to go scot free in this season opener, it will become a habit and they will become even difficult to control as the season weas on
If one is arrested and sent to serve a jail term, it will be a lesson for those with the hooligan tendencies that violence at football stadiums is a very serious offence.
We also appeal to the Scottland entourage to keep away from the area reserved for journalists because they have always caused mayhem by violently forcing themselves there.
We say Scottland supporters because this never used to happen before they were in the Premiership and the situation is always unbearable for journalists whenever Mabviravira are playing in these high profile matches.
In this modern day era where updates are dispatched while the match is in motion, journalists need to do their work freely and without the pushing and shoving which they are sometimes subjected to.
On that premise, we also appeal to the security details to protect this group of football stakeholders because the area allocated to them is clearly marked MEDIA and that can even be seen from afar.
That aside. Today is the day to celebrate and enjoy the opening of the 2026 soccer season and what it holds for the football followers of the 18 teams in the Premiership.
With what has been going on on the transfer market, the season itself promises to be a show to remember for some time.
On that premise, let the better of either Dynamos or Scottland win the first competitive match of the year 2026 and the first silverware of the year -- the Castle Challenge Cup.
