DeMbare face Hwange

restive army of fans when they face Hwange in a Castle Lager Premiership Soccer League match at Rufaro this afternoon.
The Harare side lost their opening two matches to Kiglon and Motor Action but got it right for the first time last week when they dispatched a star-studded FC Platinum 2-0, courtesy of goals from Martin Vengesai and skipper Desmond Maringwa.
The victory came as a big relief to the Glamour Boys as they moved from the basement of the table to 10th place with three points.
A win today could usher them into the top eight and assistant coach Masimba Dinyero yesterday said they are hoping to continue from where they left last week.
He urged the Dynamos fans to rally behind the team as they battle to put their campaign back in the right track.
“It’s an uphill task because every team wants to beat Dynamos. But we can’t keep giving away points like we did in our first two matches.
“Of course we started off badly and I think it was a result of fatigue because of our participation in the Champions League and we also had players playing in the national teams.
“But it’s now time we start collecting points and move on as we concentrate on the league championship,” said Dinyero.
He said they were conscious of the fans’ expectations.
“We are quite aware that the fans expect a lot from the team but football is a game of competition. We must not lose hope with what happened in previous games because it’s now history.
“Our focus is now on the games in hand and we have set ourselves the goal to start collecting points,” added Dinyero.
The Glamour Boys will welcome the midfield quartet of Devon Chafa, Timire Mamvura, Archieford Gutu and Denver Mukamba who missed last week’s league tie because they were away in Botswana with the national Under-23 team for the All-Africa Games qualifiers.
Their return will boost the technical team’s options following last week’s good showing by Milton Makopa, Murape Murape, Tawanda Muparati, Desmond Maringwa and Farai Vimisayi who held forte in their absence.
“I think our strikers are coming up now. They are creating the chances but they just couldn’t finish. We have been perfecting them and we expect an improvement,” said Dinyero.
Dynamos will be hoping to erase memories from the last season when they went down 1-0 to Hwange at the same venue.
DeMbare were punished when striker Rodwell Chinyengetere scored late in the game after defender Guthrie Zhokinyi missed a contested penalty with just nine minutes remaining.
Chinyengetere will be part of the cast today and could lead the frontline with Tongai Magwendere and Ocean Mpofu.
Winless Hwange are coming into this match under pressure to start collecting points following -0- draws with Gunners and Kiglon and a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Masvingo.
Coach Tennant Chilumba, who was in Zambia the whole week for a coaching course, is expected back for the match.
Pressure is mounting on the Zambian who is understood to have been given an ultimatum to turn around the fortunes of the club, which currently sits third from the bottom with two points.
Gunners’ chief striker Leonard Tsipa returns to boost the side’s strikeforce as they face Highlanders at La Farge this afternoon.
Bosso arrived in the capital yesterday.
Tsipa missed the Independence Cup action last week and is expected to take his place after recovering from illness.
The Premiership’s 2009 champions will be looking for their first win of the season against the resurgent Bulawayo giants.
Gunners, who scooped bronze in last week’s Independence Cup competition, are still on two points in three starts.
Coach Darlington Dodo is aware of the task at hand as they face a Highlanders side that is still bubbling with confidence following their Independence Cup triumph this week.
Gunners appear strong after assembling a side that includes battle hardened players like Ashley Rambanapasi, Tsipa, Courage Denias and the Sengu brothers David and Ronald.
“Highlanders are playing well but we should try our best to come up with a good result. We need to start collecting points and I hope this should be our turning point,” said Dodo.
Highlanders’ coach Mkhupali Masuku appears to have invested his faith in the same team that played the Independence Cup with skipper Gilbert Banda marshalling the defence that also includes veteran Gift Lunga, Innocent Mapuranga and Lawson Nkomo.
Returning former Motor Action striker Njabulo Ncube is again expected to spearhead an attack that includes Vincent Nzombe and Arnold Tshuma.

Fixtures:
Today – Dynamos v Hwange (Rufaro), Shabanie Mine v FC Platinum (Maglas), Gunners v Highlanders (La Farge), Monomotapa v Kiglon (Gwanzura)
Sunday – Zimbabwe Saints v Blue Ribbon (White City), CAPS United v Black Mambas (Rufaro), Chicken Inn v Shooting Stars (Luveve)
Monday – Highlanders v Dynamos (Barbourfields), Motor Action v Shabanie Mine (Motor Action Sports Club), FC Platinum v Gunners (Maglas), Hwange v Monomotapa (Colliery), Masvingo v Kiglon (Mucheke)