Online Reporter
Don Makanyanga at Rufaro, Oscar Rusenga in Chisumbanje, Zimpapers Sports Hub
DYNAMOS’ woes continued unabated with yet another dreadful performance that left Zimbabwe’s record champions looking like relegation material.
At a venue (Rufaro Stadium) that once defined their dominance, Dynamos continued their spiral into mediocrity with a 2-0 defeat to Herentals, their seventh loss of the campaign and second under interim coach, Saul Chaminuka.
The Glamour Boys were second best throughout. Tinotenda Benza opened the scoring before captain Shadreck Nyahwa turned into his own net, compounding the misery.
“We will survive,” Chaminuka insisted post-match. “At least the window is open. We need to get one or two experienced players to boost our strike force.”
But even that felt more like defiance than conviction.
Dynamos barely threatened, managing just two shots on target in 90 minutes. Their build up was stifled by a bumpy Rufaro pitch and a Herentals side that looked sharper and hungrier.
Paul Benza, coach of Herentals, was full of praise for his side.
“All we needed was somewhere to start,” he said. “This revives our target of doing better than last season.”
In Chisumbanje, Ngezi Platinum quietly got their title defence back on track with a 1-0 win over Greenfuel, thanks to a 25th minute strike from, Marvellous Mukumba.
Greenfuel coach Rodwell Dhlakama, suffered his first home defeat since returning to the club and was blunt in his post-match reflections.
“We switched off during a corner and it cost us. It’s a wake-up call,” he said.
Mukumba capitalised on a goalkeeping error, pouncing at the back post after Ashley Reyners failed to deal with a corner.
Ngezi nearly doubled the lead on several occasions, Qadr Amini hit the bar, Malvin Gaki fluffed a one on one, and Ashwin Karengesha also went close, but the solitary goal proved enough.
“We were better today,” said Ngezi coach Takesure Chiragwi. “We created a lot and defended well.
What’s important is we collected maximum points away from home.”
As the PSL approaches the final third of the season, the picture is becoming clearer at both ends of the table.
MWOS lead the pack with 40 points, but questions remain about their depth and efficiency. Dynamos, once kings of local football, are languishing in unfamiliar territory near the bottom, while Chicken Inn might just have found a lifeline.
Whether the Gamecocks can kick on, and whether Dynamos can halt their slide, will shape what’s left of a compelling PSL season with Simba Bhora, who were held to a 1-1 draw by ZPC Kariba at Shamva in the race to retain their title.
