Zimbabwe coach Michael Nees will get his first feel of the famous Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Harare derby showdown when Dynamos and CAPS United square off at Rufaro on Sunday.
The potentially explosive encounter comes amid expectations from fans and the domestic football family that match officials will not conspire to spoil this blockbuster encounter.
Referees have of late been the Achilles Heel in both the Premier and Division One leagues, with their controversial officiating on the back of damning allegations of corruption, hogging the limelight for the wrong reasons.
High-riding Dynamos host CAPS United at the ceremonial home of football, where Nees has been on several occasions, since his unveiling in August.
The German expatriate has been a busy man and has also been to the Heart Stadium on three occasions.
He watched his first Premiership match at log leaders Simba Bhora's fortress at Wadzanai in Shamva.
Nees has also been exposed to some Northern Region Soccer League games, where there is also a riveting race for a promotion involving MWOS, Scottland, Black Rhinos, and rank outsiders Harare City.
The German has also accessed videos of several Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matches. Although the 57-year-old gaffer is yet to travel to other venues like Barbourfields in Bulawayo, Sakubva in Mutare, Mandava in Zvishavane, and Baobab in Mhondoro, he thinks he has already seen quiet enough to make a judgment on the local game.
From what he has seen, Nees believes there are "about 15 to 20" locally-based players, who are good enough to play in the national team.
He has named just seven of them in a 24-man squad that will face Namibia in back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on October 10 and 14.
The former Seychelles coach added that the door is always open for more players based in Zimbabwe.
He has since included the Dynamos duo of Martin Mapisa and Emmanuel Jalai, CAPS United skipper Godknows Murwira, Brian Banda (FC Platinum), Richard Hachiro (Ngezi Platinum Stars), Yadah stars talisman Khama Billiat 2022 Soccer Star of the Year Walter Musona (Simba Bhora).
"You must always see things from different angles.
"What a player shows and what he could show in a different environment, with better conditions, or maybe in a selected team.
"That is the difference, but you know that local clubs play on difficult pitches," Nees said.
He thinks the local Premiership lacks speed and he attributes that to the poor state of some pitches that are used for the top-flight league.
Zimbabwe has a storied lack of sporting infrastructure with Nees' Warriors being forced to play their international assignments on foreign soil because the country does not have any CAF-approved stadium.
"We have very good players in the local league, they are high up there in terms of ball control and technique.
"Their only disadvantage is that they play on pitches that are not up to international standards." He also gave some examples of how bumpy pitches are impacting local players.
"The players have skill and ability but sometimes they don't want to play from the back because they fear they might lose the ball.
"It also has to do with the bumpy pitches which prohibit build-ups."
Nees is, however, convinced that there is massive potential in the Premier League.
"The game is played at different levels, but you must anticipate. Can this player, when the conditions are different, cope with the speed?
"Can the player be tactically flexible enough to adjust to a higher level?
"There are many good players in Zimbabwe, yes, but it's just unfortunate that they play on pitches that are not normally international standard. "We already had local players in our last camp . . . there are still a few more to be added as we move.
"I had a list of players even before I came here, when I researched about the names and all the other things.
"I think you have 15 to 20 local players who have the potential to be in a national team set-up.
"But of course that depends on the position, it also depends on the fitness."
Nees urged local players to keep working hard because in the future he will give all the players a chance, regardless of their location.
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"Sometimes players are sick, or they are not fit, or they have problems with their team, or they are suspended.
"There are many things at play so the local-based players shouldn't give up, even if they are not selected.
"Football can change from one day to the next, from zero to hero, and sometimes from hero to zero." Nees plans to visit all the local stadiums when he returns from his next Warriors assignments.
After all, he also has the Africa Nations Cup (CHAN) competition on the horizon.
"Zimbabwe is not a small country that you can go through in a few weeks.
"At the same time, I am also doing some office and organisational work.
"It will take a few months, no doubt about that. "But it's a process, I want to also see all the different parts of Zimbabwe, that's for sure."
According to sources, some of the players who have so far drawn Nees' attention include Simba Bhora striker Tymon Machope, Dynamos captain Frank Makarati, and Yadah midfielder Blessed Ndereki.
