Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi, Eddie [email protected]
Dynamos 0-0 ZPC Kariba
DYNAMOS had the ball, the crowd, and the moment to close the gap but left Rufaro with nothing to show for it.
ZPC Kariba came to kill the game and did it well. Dynamos played along.
What followed was a flat, frustrating afternoon where DeMbare never looked like breaking through, and the longer it dragged, the more it felt like two points slipping away.
ZPC were clear from the first whistle. Sit deep, break rhythm, slow everything down. By the second half, it had turned into a stop-start affair, players going down, time ticking, tempers rising in the stands.
But Dynamos won’t hide behind that.
They had control, especially in the first half, but did very little with it. Possession without purpose, passes without penetration. For a team chasing the leaders, it wasn’t enough.
And the numbers are starting to tell a story. Three games without a win now. A missed chance to respond after CAPS United stretched their lead at the top with victory over Highlanders.
By full-time, sections of the Rufaro crowd had seen enough. No applause, just frustration.
Coach Genesis Mangombe didn’t dodge it.
“I think our first half was okay, we dominated possession, but we lacked that intensity going forward.
“We did create clear chances, which I thought we should have buried.
“But in terms of ball retention and keeping possession, we are spot on. When playing ZPC Kariba, you don’t score easily.
“They try to disrupt the system, delaying tactics, disturbing the rhythm. But at half-time we said we need to change our application psychologically.”
The truth is Dynamos never quite did. There was a brief lift after the break. Tellmore Pio’s effort struck Kelvin Gwao inside the box and the home side screamed for a penalty, but nothing was given. Captain Shadreck Nyahwa then tried his luck with a rising volley that almost caught Future Sibanda off guard.
That was as close as it got.
Mangombe admitted the bigger issue wasn’t just tactics, it was mindset.
“We were not spot on, we were not hungry enough. We needed to change our attitude, apply ourselves better so we can get entries into the box.
“We improved in the second half, we tried to attack, but it’s unfortunate we didn’t score.
“At the end of the day, we should have collected maximum points.”
ZPC Kariba barely offered anything going forward, but they didn’t need to.
Their first real chance only came in the 55th minute when Charles Munyanyi slipped through after a failed offside trap, forcing Tatenda Makoni into a save. Later on, Wayne Kamurai tested the near post, again dealt with.
That was it.
The rest was game management. Slowing it down, breaking rhythm, taking the sting out of Dynamos’ momentum.
Goalkeeper Sibanda even went into the book for time wasting.
Coach Newman Mashipe wasn’t complaining. “A point away against Dynamos, it’s a point gained.
“I’m happy with the way the boys played. Dynamos played well, they controlled the game, but we were organised defensively.
“Our concern is going forward, we are still working on that because we are not scoring enough goals.”
For Dynamos, the concern is different.
They are not losing, but they are not winning either. And in a title race, that can be just as costly.
