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Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor
IT’S either fate has set it all up that Callisto Pasuwa seals his immortality, in his 100th league game in charge of Dynamos at the National Sports Stadium tomorrow, or he gets a kick in his teeth, and a painful reminder, that he is human, after all.
It’s incredible, isn’t it, that Pasuwa celebrates a century of league games, in charge of the Glamour Boys, in the game that could define his legacy — either as the first coach to lead a local top-flight club to four straight league titles or as the man who failed when immortality beckoned.
In more than half-a-century of the domestic Premiership, dating back to 1962, no coach has ever come close, to writing such a fairytale, and Pasuwa just needs to guide his Glamour Boys to victory, on his special day, in a tough duel against ZPC Kariba, and he can bask in all the glory that will come with such a sensational achievement.
SuperSport appear to have recognised that this could be a very special occasion, too, and for the first time in their broadcast of the domestic Premiership, the showdown between ZPC Kariba and Dynamos will be screened live on SuperSport 9 and SuperSport 5 HD on a weekend bubbling with live sporting action around the world.
ZPC Kariba could spoil his party by winning tomorrow, and becoming the first club in the domestic Premiership to complete back-to-back victories over Dynamos since Pasuwa took over as head coach in August 2011, to all but secure their maiden league title in their first season in the top-flight.
The Kariba giant-killers also have their reasons to believe that fate has also set it all up for them to be crowned champions, after just a season in the domestic Premiership, as this is the 30th anniversary of the year Black Rhinos powered their way to the title in their first year in the top-flight league.
Interestingly, that Rhinos side ended DeMbare’s four-year stranglehold, on the domestic championship, and ZPC Kariba — 30 years down the road — also have their chance to be remembered as the team that ended the Glamour Boys’ quest for four straight league titles and Pasuwa’s bid for a place in the record books.
ZPC Kariba are also bidding to become the first club, in 48 years, to take the Premiership title outside the two major cities of Harare and Bulawayo, following in the golden footsteps of the great St Paul’s, the team created by Father Antony Edward Davies, who won the title in 1966, and took it to their rural setting in Musami.
But the stage, clearly, has been set for Pasuwa, on the special occasion of his 100th league match in charge of DeMbare, to seal his immortality, as the young coach who reminded Dynamos that they could reclaim their dynasty, of dominating the domestic Premiership, by guiding his men to victory tomorrow, or live to regret the golden chance that he fluffed.
Until Pasuwa came along, and took over the hottest seat in domestic football, the Glamour Boys had not won back-to-back league titles, in 17 years, since the legendary Sunday Chidzambwa guided them to success in 1994 and 1995.
He inherited a team that had lost its way, in the championship race, in August 2011, trailing leaders FC Platinum, who even had the cushion of a game in hand, by 12 points with just 11 games to play in the season.
Even their chairman, Kenny Mubaiwa, who hasn’t been given the credit he deserves for the gamble he took to give the then greenhorn coach the chance to lead the Glamour Boys, appeared to have given up after a depressing 1-1 draw against Mambas.
“It will need a miracle now to win the league because we have lost a lot of matches,” Mubaiwa told the media as he announced Pasuwa’s appointment.
“We have asked the new technical team to finish the league in a good position, at most, second or third position on the log. We still have 11 games to play so I think they can achieve that target.”
Of course, Pasuwa turned the league title race on its head with his team winning nine of their remaining 11 games, including a decisive victory over FC Platinum at Mandava that virtually secured them the title in Week 29 of the race, drawing just one game and losing once, a 0-1 defeat at Mucheke at the hands of Masvingo United, when Washington Arubi and Cuthbert Malajila were away on national duty.
And, 99 league games after Mubaiwa made that announcement that they had appointed Pasuwa as coach, with the 100th league match set for the National Sports Stadium tomorrow, the Glamour Boys have won three straight league titles and are leading the race to secure a fourth title on the bounce.
Pasuwa has won 59 of the 99 league matches that he has been in charge of the Glamour Boys, unbeaten against his team’s major rivals CAPS United and Highlanders, drawn 28 games and lost only 12 in a run that has seen him guide them to total dominance on the domestic Premiership.
His points tally, since taking over, represents an impressive 69.02 percent success rate and it has helped him triumph, in titanic battles for the league championship, against Rahman Gumbo, Kelvin Kaindu and Bigboy Mawiwi.
PASUWA’S LEAGUE STATISTICS AT DYNAMOS:
2011
Shooting Stars 1-4 Dynamos
Dynamos 2-0 Shabanie Mine
Gunners 1-3 Dynamos
Dynamos 4-0 Zimbabwe Saints
Dynamos 2-0 Monomotapa
Masvingo 1-0 Dynamos
Dynamos 3-1 Highlanders
Hwange 0-0 Dynamos
Dynamos 2-0 Motor Action
Platinum 0-1 Dynamos
Dynamos 2-0 Kiglon
2012
Dynamos 3-0 Hardbody
Buffaloes 0-2 Dynamos
Dynamos 0-1 Monomotapa
Dynamos 4-1 Black Mambas
Highlanders 1-1 Dynamos
Dynamos 4-2 Hwange
Shabanie Mine 0-0 Dynamos
Dynamos 2-1 Chicken Inn
Motor Action 0-0 Dynamos
Dynamos 0-1 Harare City
Gunners 1-2 Dynamos
Dynamos 1-0 CAPS United
Quelaton 0-1 Dynamos
Dynamos 6-0 Blue Rangers
Platinum 1-2 Dynamos
Dynamos 2-0 Platinum
Blue Rangers 1-1 Dynamos
Dynamos 2-0 Quelaton
CAPS United 0-3 Dynamos
Dynamos 4-0 Gunners
Harare City 0-1 Dynamos
Dynamos 1-0 Motor Action
Chicken Inn 1-0 Dynamos
Dynamos 4-1 Shabanie Mine
Hwange 0-2 Dynamos
Dynamos 1-1 Highlanders
Black Mambas 0-3 Dynamos
Monomotapa 1-2 Dynamos
Dynamos 3-0 Buffaloes
Hardbody 1-1 Dynamos
2013
Black Mambas 1-1 Dynamos
Dynamos 1-1 Chicken Inn
Shabanie Mine 1-1 Dynamos
Dynamos 0-0 Triangle
Dynamos 1-1 Highlanders
Triple B 0-2 Dynamos
Dynamos 2-2 FC Platinum
Monoz 0-3 Dynamos
Dynamos 2-0 Hwange
CAPS United 0-1 Dynamos
Dynamos 0-0 Harare City
Motor Action 0-2 Dynamos
Dynamos 2-0 Black Rhinos
Buffaloes 3-2 Dynamos
Dynamos 3-0 How Mine
How Mine 1-0 Dynamos
Dynamos 1-0 Buffaloes
Black Rhinos 0-0 Dynamos
Dynamos 1-0 Motor Action
Harare City 1-3 Dynamos
Dynamos 1-0 CAPS United
Hwange 4-2 Dynamos
Dynamos 0-0 Monomotapa United
FC Platinum 2-0 Dynamos
Dynamos 4-0 Triple B
Highlanders 0-1 Dynamos
Triangle 2-2 Dynamos
Dynamos 1-1 Shabanie Mine
Chicken Inn 2-2 Dynamos
Dynamos 2-0 Black Mambas
2014
How Mine 0-1 Dynamos
Dynamos 0-1 ZPC Kariba
Bantu Rovers 1-3 Dynamos
Dynamos 3-1 Harare City
Chapungu 1-0 Dynamos
Dynamos 0-1 Buffaloes
Shabanie Mine 0-0 Dynamos
Dynamos 1-0 FC Platinum
Chiredzi 0-1 Dynamos
Dynamos 1-0 Triangle
Hwange 1-0 Dynamos
Dynamos 1-0 Highlanders
Chicken Inn 0-0 Dynamos
Dynamos 2-1 Black Rhinos
CAPS United 1-1 Dynamos
Dynamos 2-1 CAPS United
Black Rhinos 0-0 Dynamos
Dynamos 1-1 Chicken Inn
Highlanders 0-1 Dynamos
Dynamos 1-1 Hwange
Triangle 1-2 Dynamos
Dynamos 2-0 Chiredzi
FC Platinum 0-0 Dynamos
Dynamos 1-0 Shabanie Mine
Buffaloes 0-1 Dynamos
Dynamos 1-1 Chapungu
Harare City 3-5 Dynamos
Dynamos 0-0 Bantu Rovers
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