Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports Hub
DYNAMOS’ goalkeeper Idrissou Nfor Finia has made strides towards full recovery, but will not be available when the Glamour Boys visit Bulawayo this Sunday to face bogey side Chicken Inn in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Barbourfields.
The Cameroonian shot-stopper is recovering from the sidelines after undergoing a successful jaw surgery at the end of March.
Finia suffered a serious jaw injury following a collision with an AGAMA player during a league match at Wadzanai in Shamva on March 22.
He has been out of action since then, missing five league matches.
But DeMbare coach Genesis Mangombe yesterday said Idrissou, who is the only player in the Glamour Boys casualty ward, has made notable progress and should be bouncing back to training in the coming days.
“I think we are on the right track. We are doing very well, and I’m happy that we don’t have any injury worries at the moment, save for Idrissou.
“But we are also hoping that he will recover very soon. Probably next week he will resume training with the team,” said Mangombe.
In his absence, Tatenda Makoni has stepped in to cover the void, and he has done it extremely well, keep-ing four clean sheets from the last five games.
Dynamos have had one of the best defences in the league, shutting out the likes of MWOS, Scottland, Simba Bhora and ZPC Kariba.
The arrival of Hastings Chapusha in central defence has been key in organising the backline that also features regulars Collin Mujuru, Abel Gwatidzo and Ghanian Christopher Netty.
“We are really doing well in terms of defending and the combinations are coming up,” said Mangombe.
“If you see our backline at the moment, I am happy that they are solid and now they are understanding each other; the communication and, also, covering for one another.
“Even the goalkeeping issue, we addressed it, and now we are good to go. But as for us not conceding, we also have to try and score so that the games won’t be difficult for us,” said Mangombe.
Dynamos are one of the few teams yet to taste defeat after nine rounds of play in the 2026 Premiership campaign.
But of late they have been firing blanks, recording identical 0-0 draws against Scottland and ZPC Kariba in their last two outings.
Mangombe, however, is hoping to build on the positive momentum.
“There are so many positives in what we are doing and also the way we are playing. We are creating chances, which is also a major problem to many teams.
“But now when you create chances, it’s now for the players to have that confidence and composure in front of goal. So, we are actually training it and we are trying to perfect our finishing.
“The other good thing also I am impressed with is that we are not losing games and, at the same time, we are not conceding goals,” Mangombe said.
It remains interesting how they hope to deal with bogey-side Chicken Inn, who they have not defeated in four previous meetings since 2023.
The Gamecocks are under the tutelage of former Dynamos players and coach Tonderai Ndiraya, but of late they have been going through a lean spell.
“Every team in the Premier League nowadays is very, very difficult to play with, and you don’t count on the points before you play,” Mangombe said.
“So, it’s very difficult that we are going to play away. But at the same time, when playing in Bulawayo, there are a lot of Dynamos fans) at Barbourfields, which seems to be our hunting ground.
“For some time, we used it as our home ground. We are used to it and we have been posting good results when we play in BF.
“We are happy with the atmosphere there and also the welcome from the supporters. So, I don’t see any difficulty in terms of our support base and also the way we want to play.”
Fixtures:
Today: Herentals College v Highlanders (Rufaro)
Tomorrow: AGAMA v FC Platinum (Wadzanai), CAPS United v Bulawayo Chiefs ()Rufaro), Hardrock v FC Hunters (Chahwanda), ZPC Kariba v MWOS (Nyamhunga)
Sunday: Ngezi Platinum Stars v Manica Diamonds (Baobab), Scottland v Simba Bhora (Rufaro), Chicken Inn v Dynamos (Barbourfields), Triangle United v TelOne (Gibbo)
