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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
DYNAMOS coach Tonderai Ndiraya is worried complacency could be creeping into his team at the crucial moment following his side’s lacklustre performance against rivals CAPS United in the penultimate round of the Chibuku Super Cup.
The Glamour Boys had already booked their place in the quarter-finals, with some games to spare and will face Black Rhinos.
However, Ndiraya said the application from his charges was unsatisfactory after they were held to a 1-1 draw by the Green Machine, at Baobab, on Sunday.
Ndiraya said he had hoped to use the last three games of the campaign as dress rehearsals for the quarter-finals and they began by beating ZPC Kariba 2-0.
“I am a little bit disappointed with this result because we were taking this game as a (dress rehearsal for the) quarter-final,’’ said Ndiraya.
“That is why I have said in my previous interviews that we have already started planning for the quarter-finals.
“We really needed to win that game (to build the momentum) but that wasn’t to be.
“So, we will keep on preparing.
“We are playing another quarter-final, before the quarter-final against Harare City, so I had wanted my team to play these games with that mentality.
“I think that is the only chance we have to fine tune our team before the quarter-finals, that’s if we don’t play the league games in-between.”
DeMbare, who were the first to confirm their quarter-final ticket following a dominant run in Group One, were joined by six others, following the completion, of the other group matches, at the weekend.
They are the only team unbeaten in the tournament, after winning six games, and drawing three.
Chicken Inn and Highlanders progressed from Group Two while army sides Cranborne Bullets and Black Rhinos progressed from Group Three.
Premiership champions FC Platinum and bitter rivals Ngezi Platinum, lived up to the pre-tournament billing as favourites, in Group Four.
But Group One, which had six teams, will only conclude this week with both Harare City and ZPC Kariba still having realistic chances of joining DeMbare, in the last eight.
Harare City, who slumped to a shock 0-3 defeat at the hands of Herentals, will round off their campaign against Dynamos.
ZPC Kariba have a date against CAPS United.
According to the tournament draw, Dynamos will proceed to play Rhinos.
Dynamos are sitting comfortably on 21 points, with Harare City in second place, on 13 points.
The Sunshine Boys are still favourites to pull through, despite the defeat to Herentals, in a drama-filled encounter at the National Sports Stadium.
ZPC Kariba rekindled their chances with a 1-0 win over Yadah on Saturday, to take their tally to 11 points, two behind Harare City.
Ndiraya said they have started planning for Rhinos, who have a number of ex-DeMbare players and coach, Hebert Maruwa, in their ranks.
“We have started planning for that already,” said Ndiraya.
“We know that it’s coming, we have seen Black Rhinos several times, so, we have already started planning for that game.
“Rhinos have always been a bogey side for us.
“I think what makes the whole game exciting is that they do have quite a number of our former players. I am sure they are angling to play against us.
“It’s going to be a very interesting contest. You know how it is when you play against your former colleagues.
“We expect a tough match because it’s a game that nobody wants to lose in order to progress to the semi-finals.”
While Harare City have a difficult date against Dynamos, ZPC Kariba will round off against CAPS United.
The team that progresses will face surprise packages Cranborne Bullets.
The other three groups, which had fewer teams, concluded their matches at the weekend.
Chicken Inn claimed Group Two with 12 points, finishing ahead of Highlanders.
FC Platinum emerged with the bragging rights in Group Four, because of a superior goal difference, after finishing equal on 13 points, with Ngezi Platinum Stars.
This has set up a potentially exciting duel between FC Platinum and Highlanders in the quarter-finals.
Chicken Inn will face Ngezi Platinum.
Chibuku Super Cup quarter-finals:
Dynamos FC vs Black Rhinos
Cranborne Bullets vs Harare City
Chicken Inn vs Ngezi Platinum Stars
FC Platinum vs Highlanders
Online Reporter