Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Sports Reporter
Dynamos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
ZPC Kariba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
DYNAMOS opened the 2025 Castle Lager Premiership season in a not-so-ideal manner after failing to break down a resolute ZPC Kariba defence to settle for an uninspiring goalless draw at Rufaro yesterday.
Trying to keep up with teams who had pocketed the maximum points in the opening day of the opening week like Scottland, Manica Diamonds, Herentals and MWOS, the Glamour Boys wheeled in with a lot of anticipation.
But, just like their opponents yesterday, DeMbare are still trying to cope up with the huge personnel loss suffered in the pre-season transfer window.
It’s a process and it takes a bit of time and effort as the body of evidence was in full display yesterday for both teams.
Dynamos are giants though and the draw should have left them and their supporters, who attended the fixture en-masse, disappointed especially given that they were playing at home against a team that has failed to beat them for more than five years.
Coach Lloyd “Ma blanyo” Chigowe felt they should have pushed a bit more to get a result against a team that sat back for the majority of the game.
“Like I said, prior to the match it was always going to be a tricky match. If you remember last season we drew one all with ZPC Kariba. They did not give us space and they came with an intention to get a draw.
“They were tenacious in defending and we played only on the break. Otherwise, we wanted to win more than them. They came here to sit and defend and make sure that they didn’t concede a goal. “In the end, we shared the spoils. Probably a true reflection of the tactical approach of both teams. I think that’s good enough.
“It was always going to be a difficult match considering that it’s a new team.
“We look at the players that we had last year. It’s totally different this year,” said Chigowe.
“It’s a mixture of young stars and also the senior players. It was always going to be a tough game to play. Also, in the numbers that we had, considering the senior players that we had.
“You can see that we dominated proceedings, especially in the second half. This team (ZPC Kariba), for all intents and purposes, did not take a shot on goal. No shot on target.
“But they also made sure that they sat deep and had numbers behind the ball. They were tenacious and organised. The organisation was good. I will not take that away from them.”
Dynamos were the ones to always probe the opponents’ defensive third.
ZPC Kariba, who built a huge defensive reputation last season, conceding just 18 goals in 34 games, know their offensive limitations but they did try to launch some counter attacks and Collin Muleya’s snap shot almost got them the lead a minute after the break but Prince Tafiremutsa was properly-positioned to smoother its sting.
Besides those few-and-far-between chances from both ends, play was mostly concentrated on the channels and midfield with neither able to get the right formulae to break clear.
It was at some instances a very slow encounter between two teams trying to find themselves after suffering those huge blows brought by losing the core of their squads from last year.
Dynamos lost about 11 players and ZPC Kariba are almost re-building from the base after also losing 13 players.
Perhaps it was a game neither deserved to win after doing less to warrant a result.
It was a huge point gained by ZPC Kariba on the road though but for their defensive effectiveness, coach Newton Chitehwe should also be worried for their flaws in front of goal, a major undoing in 2024, were more than glaring in yesterday’s game.
“We always worked on consolidating the way that we defended last year and also tried to improve going forward and I think going forward we did well but as games come by I think we are going to be better.
“But for today, playing against Dynamos here, the pressure, the supporters and everything, I think we did well in terms of defending even in winning tussles,” said Chitehwe.
“We planned for a win, we wanted to win this game, at least maybe by a goal 1-0 score line but I know my brother (Chigowe) is good at defending also, so that’s why maybe we didn’t see a lot of attacks from both sides.”
Teams
Dynamos: Prince Tafiremutsa, Emmanuel Jalai, Nomore Chinyerere, Clive Mandivei, Tendaishe Magwaza, Shadreck Nyahwa, Elton Chikona (Enasio Perezo 80min), Temptation Chiwunga, Frank Agyemang (Jairos Kasondo 80min), Leeroy Mavunga (Abel Gwatidzo 71min), Valentine Kadonzvo (Tellmore Pio 54min)
ZPC Kariba: Tatenda Munditi, Boid Mutukure, Marshal Gavaza, Simbarashe Chimanikire, Kuzivakwashe Madima, Collen Muleya, Vitalis Chidzero, Munashe Kamwendo (Emmanuel Edmond 65min), Wayne Kamurai (Remmington Masuku 87min), Fanuel Shoko (Samuel Makawa 65min), Stanley Ngala (Moses Demera 80min)
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