dyton mupawaenda
Eddie Chikamhi-Zimpapers Sports Hub
IF everything was in perfect order, the past week would have been buzzing as Harare giants Dynamos prepared to meet one of their new nemesis Scottland in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League encounter at Rufaro tomorrow.
This was supposed to be a game fans at both sides have been waiting for all season with high expectations on either side.
But as Scottland march onto the Rufaro turf tomorrow, they will be favourites to win given that Dynamos’ struggles on the pitch have been much more pronounced this season.
The Harare giants, who are currently wallowing in the relegation zone, have a poor squad by their storied standards.
It is a collection of players that cannot even compare to Scottland’s substitutes bench in terms of quality.
Coming on the back of four winless matches, Dynamos will need to play their best cards tomorrow to come out alive, against a side coached by their former son and gaffer Tonderai Ndiraya.
Despite DeMbare’s challenges, Ndiraya indicated he will not leave anything to chance in his quest to get his Scottland back in the groove after experiencing a dip in the last month.
“Dynamos will always be Dynamos, no matter who plays there,” said Ndiraya.
“It’s a team that is driven by its fan base, the history that the club has, despite the players they may have at that particular time. The history that is with that team tends to drive the players.
“Most of the teams that we have played have been coming and put up induced performances, for obvious reasons.
“Because we’ve got good players that are within our squad and every team would really want to beat our team. So, we also expect an induced performance from Dynamos.”
Ndiraya refused to underrate the Glamour Boys, who have only one win to show in nine games this season.
Resultantly DeMbare are sitting in the relegation zone with eight points from a possible 27.
Scottland, in comparison, rose to third on the log standings following their 1-0 victory over Herentals on Thursday, a day after DeMbare had featured in a goalless draw away at GreenFuel.
That point on the road only served to halt Dynamos’ losing streak which had stretched to three matches on the bounce.
“The fact that they went to GreenFuel, brought back a point after such a long travel; they finished that game with a man down shows you that it’s not as bad as what people think.
“So, we expect a very competitive game, given these things that I’ve spoken about. We have to be prepared for that game. It’s going to be a very massive and tough game for us, it’s important,” Ndiraya said.
Scottland have received poor reception in Harare, where an odd alliance of Dynamos and CAPS United supporters has been teaming up to back any team that has come to face the newboys at Rufaro.
This could have made tomorrow’s game huge, but only if DeMbare had also been playing well.
Dynamos assistant coach Mark Mathe has remained positive after returning from the trip to Chisumbanje with a point.
He said they had to manage player recovery first.
“When you play three games in the space of seven days, it’s not easy. But what is critical is to understand the scientific part, especially on the part of the football athletes that we’re working with.
“It’s key to strike a balance between the load and the recovery. So, you make sure your lads or your football athletes have the energy to play a game and perform to the level that is expected,’’ Mathe said.
“So, we will do our best with regard to that. Look, we treat football games the same way. We knew that come Week 10 we’ve got to fix a problem that we’ll be playing Scottland and here we are, we are going to face them.
“We’ve come to realise that this year, the games are really, really tough. So, we’re preparing well and we’re hopeful that we’ll get a positive result versus Scottland on Sunday although it’s not going to be easy. We can see the chemistry within the boys. There is a self-belief now,” said Mathe.
Meanwhile, pressure is mounting at all levels within the DeMbare camp. The club’s management is also feeling it and, in an effort, to boost the team as well as improve their coffers, they have made a plea to the supporters to be patient with the team and turn up in numbers tomorrow.
“Dynamos Football Club is aware of the concerns and frustrations that our valuable fans have endured week in week out in the wake of seemingly elusive expected results for the league matches the team has played so far,” said a message from the executive.
“The new players who joined the club this season require support and patience as they settle down into a club with high expectations and performance standards.
“We would like to appeal to our legion of fans to remain calm and patient during this period. All the structures of the club including coaches, players and the fans require each other as we all search for a solution to turn the corner.
“This is a delicate process which is however unavoidable in the wake of the club’s unfamiliar position and points to date on the log table.
“The club is deeply indebted to the fans and their leadership for their unwavering support that they have continued to demonstrate during this dark phase.
“As Match-Day 10 against Scotland beckons, we appeal to the fans to come out in their numbers in support of the team,” read the statement.
Fixtures:
Today: TelOne v Bikita Minerals (Ascot), Yadah v Highlanders (Heart), FC Platinum v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Mandava), ZPC Kariba v CAPS Utd (Nyamhunga), Simba Bhora v GreenFuel (Wadzanayi).
Tomorrow: Dynamos v Scottland (Rufaro), Manica Diamonds v Kwekwe Utd (Sakubva), Chicken Inn v MWOS (Luveve)
Monday: Herentals v Triangle (Rufaro)
Online Reporter