CYBER BATTLES

Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor
FROM the debris of riots sparked by their loss to FC Platinum and the pain inflicted by a first league defeat to Highlanders in a decade — with both damaging losses inflicted in their Rufaro fortress — Dynamos have risen like a phoenix to power back into the leading group in the Castle Lager Premiership race.

The Glamour Boys’ spirited fightback, complete with familiar dogged shows, short on style and the spectacular, but long on substance with their famed defence giving away nothing, has thrust the country’s most successful football club within just four points of leaders FC Platinum in the championship marathon.

And nowhere is the DeMbare charge being felt more than in the camp of their biggest city rivals, CAPS United, provoking a social media frenzy feeding off the events of the past few weeks in which the Glamour Boys have transformed themselves into a side capable of fighting for the league title.

While the bigger picture remains the quest for the championship, Dynamos’ resurgence — in a season where CAPS United have been competitive in the race for the league title — has created an explosive turf battle between the fans of the capital’s two biggest football clubs.

And, it’s an intense battle that is playing out, on the social media forums with the two bitter rivals throwing wild punches at each other, as if they are the only ones in the championship league fight, turning some people into super graphic artists in an intensifying fight for honours.

Dynamos’ latest victory, a 2-0 win over lightweights Border Strikers, was their fifth straight win on the bounce and powered the Glamour Boys within just three points of their biggest city rivals CAPS United who impressed in picking a priceless point in a goalless draw against FC Platinum at Mandava on Saturday.

The Green Machine, who have lost only once since the season opened, dominated their duel against the championship leaders, but once again, came short in providing the knock-out blow, something which has been their Achilles Heel this season although only Highlanders have scored more goals than them in the race. Forgotten midfielder Devon Chafa emerged from the shadows to produce a vintage display, in his first game for the Green Machine and coach Lloyd Chitembwe believes he could provide the contribution, in the middle of the park, which his team wants in their quest for their first league title in 11 years.

Chitembwe is set to give Joel Ngodzo, who has been playing week-in-and-week-out, a rest from the starting line-up in their next match against Tsholotsho while goalkeeper Jorum Muchambo could also be rested with Makepekepe set to give Edmore Sibanda a rare start since his return to the club.

After the first five league games, CAPS United had 13 points, having won four of their first five matches and had opened an eight-point gap over their eternal rivals, Dynamos, who were struggling on five points, with only one victory in their first five matches.

DeMbare had lost two of those matches, 0-3 against Chicken Inn and 0-1 against CAPS United, their first league loss against the Green Machine in seven years, as their comical experiment with Portuguese comedian Paulo Jorge Silva horribly backfired.

After a 0-1 loss at the hands of FC Platinum at Rufaro sparked riots and a 0-2 defeat at the same venue against Highlanders ended the Glamour Boys’ dominance of Bosso in the league spread over 10 years, there were even fears that DeMbare could be relegated this season.

In sharp contrast, CAPS United were flying high and graphics showing Dynamos players saluting the Green Machine flag or the DeMbare fans hiding in storm drains, asking if Makepekepe were still doing very well, flooded social media.

But six wins in the last seven league matches, including five on the bounce, have seen Dynamos fight their way back into the top four in the championship race with the Glamour Boys going back to basics by turning their defence into one that doesn’t concede goals which has seen them keeping a clean sheet in their last four matches.

While Dynamos have picked a maximum 15 points in their last five league matches, CAPS United — who are also unbeaten in that run — have picked nine points after winning two matches and drawing the other three, including their last two games.

The DeMbare fans have been flooding social media with various graphics, including an unstoppable train, which they claim will crush everything in its path.

Since losing to How Mine, CAPS United have won three games and drawn four, while Dynamos have won six and lost one since their loss to FC Platinum. The Green Machine have been impressive on the road, beating defending champions Chicken Inn and taking a point from FC Platinum at Mandava, but at home, they appear to crumble under the pressure of their demanding fans and have drawn against Hwange, Triangle and ZPC Kariba in the past six matches.

Some CAPS United fans heckled Chitembwe when the Green Machine conceded a late equaliser against Hwange in their last home league match, but statistics will show that, even though Dynamos have now cut the difference between the two giants to just three points, it’s the first time, in a long time, that Makepekepe find themselves leading their rivals after 13 league matches in the race.

Last year, Dynamos held a one-point lead over CAPS United, after 13 league matches, with the Glamour Boys having 21 points while Makepekepe, who had lost three games at that stage of the campaign, had 21 points.

The 26 points, which CAPS United have this year after 13 games, represent a five-point improvement from where the Green Machine were at this point in the championship race last year.

Two years ago, Dynamos and CAPS United were locked on 23 points, after 13 league matches, although the Glamour Boys enjoyed a superior goal difference.