DeMbare date Blue Ribbon

Blue Ribbon in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League tie at Rufaro this afternoon, seeking to avenge their loss to the same team in June.
The match kicks off at 4pm.
Malajila has been in limbo since February when civil strife broke out in Libya where he was on loan from Tunisian giants Club Africain.
But with the player’s management, Club Africain and Dynamos having reached a deal Malajila was – at the weekend – registered with the PSL and it has emerged that he has been provisionally included in the team that will face Blue Ribbon this afternoon. Malajila’s manager Gibson Mahachi said they had put in place all the paperwork that was needed to facilitate the resumption of the player’s career.
“Everything that was needed is now in place in terms of all the physical documents including the clearance from Club Africain to Dynamos, which enables them to use him and that is what was used to provisionally register him with the PSL.
“Hopefully, before lunchtime tomorrow there should be something from Tunisia,” Mahachi said.
Dynamos officials were yesterday also making frantic efforts to have the Tunisian Football Federation send the reverse international clearance that will enable Malajila to play this afternoon.
But there was no doubting the cloud of optimism that has engulfed the DeMbare dressing room over Malajila’s availability with the Glamour Boys assistant coach Masimba Dinyero revealing yesterday that the Warriors forward “will start the game if the ITC is emailed to Zifa before kick-off”.
Dinyero said although there had been a huge improvement by the Dynamos attack, which has been the team’s Achilles Heel, the Harare giants badly needed an experienced forward of Malajila’s calibre to withstand the heat in the tougher second half of the championship race.
“Cuthbert has been training with the team all along and he has been doing very well at training so once the clearance comes he will be in the starting line up.
“His presence and experience will motivate the youngsters we have in our team,” Dinyero said.
Dinyero, a former Dynamos and Black Mambas midfielder said DeMbare were also under no illusions about the threat posed by a Blue Ribbon outfit that stunned them 2-1 in the reverse fixture on June 12.
Striker Tineyi Chitora struck a memorable brace that sunk Dynamos and silenced their vociferous fans in the Vietnam end.
“Every team which plays against us always raises their game and it is something that we have come to expect now, so we are not expecting an easy afternoon against Blue Ribbon,” Dinyero said.
The Dynamos assistant coach reckoned that his side had put behind them the disappointment of losing the BancABC Sup8r semi-final showdown to nine-man Motor Action after a penalty shootout last Saturday.
“I thought we did everything to try and win the game against Motor Action but our biggest problem was that our youngsters didn’t have the nerve to take those penalties.
“That is why Guthrie Zhokinyi ended up taking the penalty that Augustine Mbara should have taken but such is life and that happens in football”.
Dinyero also revealed that Dynamos were battling with injuries to key players with skipper Desmond Maringwa and fellow midfielder Vimbai Madamombe the latest casualties.
“Gazza (Maringwa) is out for a long period and it could take up to two months because he tore his tendon, Madamombe has a groin problem and we also have Denver Mukamba still serving suspension for the red card he received at Chicken Inn.
“At least David Kutyauripo is back in training but he is still to regain full fitness,” said Dinyero.
Dinyero also noted that Blue Ribbon who are also under the guidance of former DeMbare sons – Misheck Chidzambwa, Biggie Zuze and goalkeepers’ coach Laban Kandi- had battled well in the reverse fixture and had taken their chances well.
“Blue Ribbon are very good in the aerial tussles, they keep fighting but I think it is all down to us taking our chances. Last time out we created chances but didn’t use all of them so we have to make use of the chances that come our way . . . it is payback time,” Dinyero said.
While Dynamos are looking at avenging their June 12 loss a defiant Blue Ribbon are seeking to complete a double over their fancied opponents.
Chidzambwa has been around in the game for long enough to know that DeMbare’s supporters can be their team’s 12th man but and the tall coach yesterday insisted that his charges would neither be intimidated by facing a possible Dynamos backlash nor fear their fans.
“We have been working our concentration especially in defence where we have conceded late goals after taking the lead. We cannot afford to let slip our lead and will have to learn to kill off our opponents,” Chidzambwa said.
The former Warriors coach is also happy with the progress made by his two-mid season acquisitions, Charles Mukanhaire and Charlton Mashumba.
“I think they are settling in well, Charles has not had much game time yet because he had been included in the Under-20 team that was supposed to have gone to Germany but as for Charlton he has already gelled in well and had a good game against Gunners,” Chidzambwa said.
Former Dynamos defender Brighton Tuwaya is also available to face his former team amid revelations that his intended move to Mozambique has been stalled at least until the end of the season.
Tuwaya marshalled the Blue Ribbon defence as they shut out Rodrick Mutuma, Martin Vengesai, Archieford Gutu and Mukamba in the reverse tie.
Blue Ribbon will, however, take to the field without influential skipper and forward Daniel Kamunenga who is attending trials in South Africa and Chidzambwa acknowledged that his striker’s absence could be felt today.
“We will miss Daniel but we have enough replacements. Maybe he could have missed the game through injury and we would have had to find a replacement but of course as our captain we had become used to having him lead the team but unfortunately he is not yet back from South Africa,” Chidzambwa said.
But the spotlight will, no doubt, fall on Malajila should the former Chapungu and Highlanders hitman be cleared to play for everyone in the DeMbare camp believe he could be the trusted gunslinger who can score with the kind of regularity that could help the Glamour Boys close in on the leading pair of FC Platinum and Motor Action. The Mighty Bulls are also back to league duties after their cup triumph over Dynamos with the defending champions hosting unpredictable Kiglon at Motor Action Sports Club.
Motor Action assistant coach David George yesterday warned the champions against underestimating Kiglon and said they had been reminding their troops about the shock defeat they suffered against Shooting stars when the Wild Boys were still the basement club.
George said although the Mighty Bulls had celebrated their “sweet victory over Dynamos” they had quickly put behind them the joy of securing their maiden BancABC Sup8r final berth.
“All our games are the same, there is no bigger or smaller game. We only celebrated on Saturday night after the game against Dynamos but now we have to focus on the league and I am actually worried about these teams that are in the lower half of the table because no one wants to be in the relegation zone. We have told the boys to remember what happened when Shooting Stars ended our unbeaten run in April . . . they were bottom of the table and had not won a game,” George said.
The Mighty Bulls charmed many neutrals with their fluid game in which Allan Gahadzikwa, Masimba Mambare, Kuda Musharu and the bustling duo of Tawanda Nyamandwe and Edmore Chitato were at the hub of their attacks.
Skipper Marlon Jani continues to be a huge inspiration between the posts and the veteran goalkeeper who was the star of the Motor Action in the penalty shootout against DeMbare will be expected to have another fine day in the office. Motor Action are second and five points behind FC Platinum.
Fixtures:
Today:
Blue Ribbon v Dynamos (Rufaro), Motor Action v Kiglon (Motor Action Sports Club)
Sunday:
Gunners v Shooting Stars (Lafarge), Dynamos v Black Mambas (Rufaro), Monomotapa v Blue Ribbon (Gwanzura), Masvingo v CAPS United (Mucheke), Hwange v Motor Action (Colliery).