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In an interview, Pasuwa predicted that the Tunisians would fall on their own sword in Harare on 13 May so long as his boys manage a 3-0 half-time lead in the same manner as Esperance did at the half-empty Rades Stadium two days ago.
However, the respected mentor pointed out that the onus lay on Zimbabwean football as a whole to put their heads together and strategise on how international matches could be approached considering the obstacles they continued to face, especially when coming up against North and sometimes West African teams.
“We are not the first Zimbabwean side to experience such hurdles when referees tend to conspire against us. I knew we would be playing against both Esperance and the match officials and that is why I had told the players not to expect any favours from the referee,” recounted Pasuwa.
“But some of the players let us down. They would not get up from bad tackles waiting for the referee to blow which he hardly did and the third goal was scored with Ocean (Mushure) lying on the ground.
“The same situation repeated itself for much of the match such that we were always two or three men short when trying to chase down Esperance players.
“I think only Zifa through a multi-stakeholder approach can put a stop to this bias against Zimbabwean or Southern African teams by considering other means of counter-acting. It is not possible for one team alone to fight against such bad refereeing.”
Assistant coach Tonderai Ndiraya said that they had considered protesting against the Guinean whistleman Yakhouba Keita to the Egyptian match commissioner Siam Essam but found access to him continuously blocked by Esperance marshals.
Pasuwa also bemoaned the poor level of fitness in his camp to which he partly attributed the heavy defeat.
“I only discovered as the match progressed that about three quarters of the team was limping. At times players do not reveal their true condition just so that they travel with the team.
“This cost us badly but without scientific tests on the fitness level of players we will never be able to ascertain their actual status”.
But Pasuwa said it was possible to overturn the deficit.
“It will be difficult in the return leg but not impossible. We just have to attack since we have nothing to lose. If Milton Makopa is back and Leo Kurauzvione is available we may even go with a 4-2-4 formation. As long as we can score three first half goals like Esperance did, we can wipe out their lead.
“Football is psychological and it is a matter of demoralising them. Definitely we have not given up yet, they have numerous gaps we can exploit in the second leg”.
With inside critics here already expressing doubt that Dynamos would retain their league title this season, Pasuwa hinted he would be beefing up the squad in mid-term in order to secure a quick return to Africa’s flagship club competition next year.
The coach has every reason to make such plans. There was nothing particularly extraordinary about Esperance that would have caused heads to turn but it was their state of preparedness and tactical discipline that made Dynamos look like rank amateurs.
Man of the moment Takesure Chinyama,from whom much was expected, chased shadows throughout the game, not managing a single shot on or off target and neither did any of his teammates as Zimbabwe’s best team by overall achievement put up their worst performance only matched by the legendary 7-0 whipping they suffered at the hands of their bitterest rivals CAPS United in the domestic league game in 1987.
Leftback Mushure was the first among the visitors to show a level of steadiness on the ball, summoning his Champions League experience of 2009 with Monomotapa but each time he surged forward after beating one or two markers there was no blue shirt to receive his pass.
Tawanda Muparati, featuring on the right midfield, fought for every ball on his flank and was able to keep possession only that he found himself chronically surrounded by at least three opponents, as if Esperance had organised their defence specifically for him.
His roommate Patson Jaure acquitted himself superbly in central defence by keeping a close eye on Cameroonian dangerman Yannick Ndjeng and making emphatic clearances including a ball he retrieved from the goalline with goalkeeper Washington Arubi stranded after coming second best in a duel with playmaker Youssef Msekni.
But there was little communication among Dynamos’ back four, a shortcoming they paid dearly for in the eighth minute when Esperance stole their lead through towering centreback Walid Ichri’s header, courtesy of a free-kick gained through erratic defending by a back-pedalling rearguard.
With right-back Gift Bello hardly visible, the Tunisian turned his flank into their way from where they would get the rest of the their first-half goals from Karim Aouadhi and the Atletico Madrid-bound Msekni, currently on loan from Paris St Germain.
The Dynamos coaches must have rued Guthrie Zhokinyi’s four-match suspension which has effectively robbed him of continental action as the makeshift centreback partnership of Jaure and captain George Magariro proved to be ineffective.
Indefatigable linkman Makopa, also suspended for the Rades tie, was sorely missed as the midfield operated without a shepherd, in the process starving the front-runners of any clean ball they could have expected to utilise.
Veteran link-cum-striker Murape Murape, playing wide on the right, also remained largely anonymous for the greater period of his flirtation until he made way for Martin Vengesayi in the 66th minute, a substitution that failed to bring about any change to Dynamos’ fortunes.
Murape’s opposite flank, manned by his own roommate Rodrick Mutuma, was also stagnant although the gangly forward proved hard to dispossess once he had the ball on his feet.
In hindsight, Pasuwa would probably be feeling Mutuma’s departure in the 50th minute after a double substitution that also cost Mushure his place, was untimely and served to destroy any hopes the Zimbabweans might have had of grabbing a face-saver and narrowing the scoreline as the coach had instructed his charges.
But the former Warriors and Dynamos defensive link defended his strategy, saying Mushure’s first half injury was serious while Mutuma, shown a yellow card earlier for remonstrating with the referee, was in danger of expulsion.
Pasuwa’s double-anchor strategy which he employed out of desperation due to Zhokinyi’s and Makopa’s absence, also backfired as his deployments Timire Mamvura and Devon Chafa made numerous unforced errors that gave Esperance midfielders Msekni, Majid Traoui and Aouadhi Karim the upper hand.
Mamvura was shown the red card for his troubles in the 70th minute after being cautioned twice while Chafa, also sitting on a 20th minute yellow card, was never in the game.
The former Kiglon midfielder showed poor ball control, sprayed stray passes and continuously pumped balls into touch much to the chagrin of his coach who barked orders from the touchline throughout the mismatch.
Although there could never have been space for all the 17 players eligible to play, it was likely that energetic Denver Mukamba could have been a more creative player had he been fielded.
Zimbabwe’s last team in the continental campaign are scheduled to arrive back in Harare late this afternoon.
Online Reporter