DeMbare’s Great comeback

glory irrespective of what happens elsewhere, but danger looms just about everywhere in an epic race that has entered a minefield full of snipers.
The revitalised Glamour Boys completed a haul of a dozen points, after stretching their perfect run under Callisto Pasuwa to four games, to take full control of their battle for league championship honours as results elsewhere boosted their cause.

With champions Motor Action and FC Platinum showing signs of choking, as the pressure builds in the countdown, DeMbare have responded in style under Pasuwa’s guidance and transformed themselves into the team to beat in this riveting race.
There are still 21 points on offer and Dynamos will be crowned champions if they win all their remaining seven matches but that certainly appears easier said than done with a host of big games, against Motor Action and FC Platinum, and tricky ones along the way.

But, given the way the Glamour Boys have turned it around, since the arrival of Pasuwa, and shredded what was once a nine-point gap into just a one-point gap, there is justifiable reason for the optimism that is growing in their camp that this could be the year they dump their bridesmaid image.
Incredibly, in Game 19, Dynamos had 30 points and FC Platinum, then the leaders, had 39 points but, four games later, with Pasuwa’s magic casting a spell on the race, the difference is down to just a point.

Dynamos have won all their four matches under Pasuwa, scored 13 goals and conceded only two for a haul of 12 out of 12 points while champions Motor Action have won just once and drawn three, scored just two and conceded one for a harvest of six out of 12 points.
FC Platinum have played five games within that period, are yet to register a win since Pasuwa took over as DeMbare coach, have drawn four times, lost once, scored just two goals and conceded three for a return of four out of 15 points.

Little Gunners, who have enjoyed a stunning transformation under Moses Chunga, have fared better than both Motor Action and FC Platinum in the same period, winning three and losing one (to DeMbare), scoring 10 goals and conceding six for an impressive return of nine out of 12 points.
CAPS United, who fought courageously and played with a very good spirit in their 1-1 draw against FC Platinum at Mandava, have also done better than both the Mighty Bulls and the platinum miners, within the same period, by winning two, drawing one and losing one for a haul of seven out of 12 points.

While DeMbare are averaging four goals per game, since Pasuwa took over their dressing room, Motor Action have averaged 0.5 goals per game within the same period but their impressive defence, which remains a beacon of hope, has impressed by conceding just one goal.
FC Platinum have been averaging 0.4 goals per game within the same period while Gunners, with an average of 2.5 goals per game in the past four matches, and CAPS United, with an average of 1.5 goals per game, have done far better.

Of the three coaches in the race for the Premiership crown, only Pasuwa has never won the title with Joey Antipas winning it last year and Rahman Gumbo winning at Highlanders at the turn of the millennium and also adding league titles in Malawi and Botswana.
Chunga, who won the league title with Gunners two years ago after beating DeMbare’s challenge, yesterday said this year’s race was still too tight to call but felt the momentum was now with the Glamour Boys.

“I wanted to say Gunners will win the league championship but, even if that is what I really want, I know that will require a miracle and I’m one guy who lives in the real world and I believe if we finish third, we should celebrate as if we have won the title,” said Chunga.
“Considering where we were just a few months ago, stuck at the bottom of the table, I feel we have done incredibly well that even at this stage, we still have a mathematical chance of winning the league.

“But I think Dynamos have done very well in the last few games and their case has also been helped in a big way by the fact that the other two teams (Motor Action and FC Platinum) have dropped quite a number of points during the same period.
“It’s a tricky call right now because things can change quickly and a lot will also depend on what happens in the matches between Dynamos and Motor Action and Dynamos and FC Platinum and then there are always the party spoilers waiting for a chance.

“But the truth is that the momentum is with Dynamos right now and they have this feeling that they can win any game that they play and it’s helping them clear the obstacles in their way and it will take something big to deny them this time around.”
Gunners have played some of the best football in the domestic Premiership since Chunga’s second homecoming and their 5-1 destruction of Monomotapa on Saturday was one for the archives and showed that they will play a big part in the destiny of this championship race.

Chunga and his men have a home tie against FC Platinum and another home tie against Motor Action.
“We are playing for ourselves and just trying to finish as high as possible on the log and it’s good that the boys are enjoying themselves,” said Chunga.

“There will be a lot of twists and turns in the remaining seven matches for everyone, especially the leading three teams, and we all certainly don’t know what the picture will look like at the end.
“But everyone wants to be in Dynamos’ position where you have your destiny in your hands and you tell yourself that if you win all your games then you are champions.”

Gumbo said there was still a lot to play for in the race and, like any true championship battle, nothing will come on a silver platter although he remained confident that his boys will bounce back when it matters most.

“It’s never easy to win the league but we are not panicking and we know our targets and we are confident we will get what we want,” said Gumbo.

Premiership Top Three Table Since Pasuwa Joined Dynamos