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Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
GIANTS Dynamos’ are likely to march into their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match against Harare City at the National Sports Stadium this Sunday with a crippled defence following injuries to three key players who include skipper Partson Jaure.
Defensive linkman Keith Murera has also been ruled out of the game because of a knock. The Glamour Boys look to assume a new shape at the back for the first time this season if Frank Makarati fails to recover on time and joins fellow centreback Jaure in the sidelines this weekend.
The trio have started in almost all of DeMbare’s games this season and have played a huge part in the team’s brilliant showing in defence where DeMbare are one of the two teams, along with Ngezi Platinum Stars, to have conceded the least goals to date.
Dynamos coach Tonderai Ndiraya yesterday said despite having a rough week because of the injury curse in their camp, he was still confident of the depth of his squad.
“We have got some injury scares, so to speak,” said Ndiraya.
“Frank Makarati missed today’s (yesterday) training with an ankle knock. Partson Jaure is out, Keith Murera is also going to be missing.
“So it hasn’t really been a very good week for us in terms of injuries. But, of course, because of the depth that we have, we are confident that if they fail to make it for the game, we have able replacements.
“We have got depth in our team and that is really going to come into play in this situation. So it hasn’t been a good week.
“But in terms of preparing for the game, the preparations have been flowing quite fluidly and we are almost done in terms of our preparations for Sunday’s game.”
The Dynamos defence has almost been impregnable this season judging by the way they performed in the recent Chibuku Super Cup and the first eight games of the season.
DeMbare have a proud statistic where they have conceded only three times against five clean sheets in the league. It remains to be seen how Ndiraya will structure his backline on Sunday. Dynamos are currently riding on a fine run after collecting maximum points in their last three games. Ndiraya believes he has assembled a dream squad. However, the Glamour Boys are still short of one goalkeeper and are also hoping for a reunion with midfielder King Nadolo before the close of the transfer window next Thursday.
Nadolo’s contract with the Harare giants expired last year when Premiership football was about to resume following the protracted Covid-19 pandemic disruption.
He has been linked with a European club in Georgia and was recently being courted by DeMbare’s traditional rivals CAPS United.
But the talented midfielder resurfaced at the Glamour Boys training this week as negotiations between Dynamos and his parent club TelOne neared completion.
“King has been training with us in the past weeks. Of course, he tried to make a move to CAPS United, I’m told, but he’s always been training with us.
“He missed a few days of training, I think it was during the time he was probably negotiating with the other team. But he’s been with us since we started our preparations.
“The management has been negotiating with TelOne. Hopefully, with the closing of the transfer window period fast approaching, we can close down everything. We don’t want to start hunting for players at this moment in time. We are doing the best we can so that we finish off with this Nadolo issue.
“But he’s been with us and, in terms of fitness, I think he is up there with the other guys because he’s always been training,” said Ndiraya.
Castle Lager Premiership Fixtures
Tomorrow: ZPC Kariba v Tenax (Nyamhunga); Herentals v CAPS United (NSS); Black Rhinos v Bulawayo Chiefs (Sakubva); Ngezi Platinum Stars v Chicken Inn (Baobab); Bulawayo City v Triangle (Barbourfields).
Sunday: Whawha v Cranborne Bullets (Ascot); Manica Diamonds v FC Platinum (Sakubva); Harare City v Dynamos (NSS); Highlanders v Yadah (Barbourfields).
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