adminof mediocrity on Sunday, as the Glamour Boys equaled their worst start to the domestic Premiership campaign since the turn of the millennium.
But veteran Murape Murape, a seasoned campaigner at the club, was defiant last night saying his team will bounce back in style and fulfil the potential they showed during pre-season.
The former DeMbare skipper appealed for patience, among the club’s fans, saying coach Lloyd Mutasa was slowly building a project that needed a bit of time to turn itself into a mean machine.
“It happens in football that a team goes through a dry spell or a bad patch,” said Murape, who returned to the club on a loan spell after joining Division One side Highfield United during the off-season.
“We are playing well but it’s unfortunate that positive results have not been coming our way of late.
“At the moment the team is there and it’s a good team but what we need is the patience of the fans.
“I think are learning from our mistakes but as I said people should support us because this is just a passing phase.
“We need to start getting positive results because the team is there.”
Not since losing 0-1 to Black Rhinos and going down 0-2 to bitter rivals CAPS United in the opening two weekends of the 2003 Premiership campaign, had the Glamour Boys suffered back-to-back defeats in a new campaign in the league marathon.
On Sunday DeMbare turned the hands of time back to 2003, when they crashed to their second straight defeat at Rufaro, after plunging to a 0-2 defeat at the hands of Motor Action.
Dynamos lost 0-1 to Kiglon on the opening day of the season.
And, just like the Class of 2003, Mutasa and his men have suffered exactly the same defeats (0-1 and 0-2) and, given there wasn’t the extra burden of Champions League agony eight years ago, this has to be the Glamour Boys’ worst start to the season in the new millennium.
Interestingly Kiglon, where Dynamos fished most of their players during the off-season, also suffered two straight defeats at the beginning of last season when they lost 1-3 to Hwange and 0-1 to Shooting Stars.
So, while the players have changed identity in terms of the team they are now playing for, their results – in as far as the start of the season is concerned – remains the same as of last year.
The DeMbare Class of 2003 rose from their poor start to finish as runners-up to champions Amazulu in the battle for the Premiership crown and, given that it’s still early days yet, Mutasa and his men will be hoping to turn it around and even win the title.
That probably looks a remote possibility right now, with doubts whether this Dynamos team and its soft belly can withstand pressure away from Harare, and with a relentless CAPS United showing signs that they are getting better with each passing week.
The Green Machine, installed by one of the Sunday newspapers as the new favourites for the league title, made it three wins in three matches with a 4-0 demolition of Shabanie on Saturday.
Since 2000, Dynamos have won the league championship once, in 2007, although they had made a false start to the campaign, losing 0-1 to Eastern Lions before recovering to beat Hwange 2-1 and Motor Action 2-0 in the ensuing games.
The DeMbare Class of 2007 had players of great mental strength like Thomas Sweswe and artists like Edward Sadomba and Justice Majabvi and the old boys’ brigade of Murape and Desmond Maringwa.
It was a far cry from the current squad that is thrusting the responsibilities of finding goals on the shoulders of rookies like Roderick Mutuma and Patrick Kumbula.
Of course, Dynamos have the experience in David Kutyauripo, Murape, Maringwa and Guthrie Zhokinyi while goalkeeper Washington Arubi has been impressive between the posts.
But it appears new players like Devon Chafa, Tawanda Muparati and Thomas Magorimbo will need to do more to fit the bill at the Glamour Boys and, as pressure from the fans mount, problems begin.
A lot will certainly depend on star midfielders Archie Gutu and Denver Mukamba playing at a very high level and scoring goals, too, at a consistent level and that certainly means doing far better than they did on Sunday.
It might be early days in the season and Mutasa has called for patience from the club’s fans but it is very clear that Dynamos need to do far more than what we have seen in their two games.
With Dynamos having lost three matches in a row, including their Champions League tie in Algeria, Mutasa is still hopeful of finding the right formula and turn his team’s fortunes around.
But it’s now clear he could need divine intervention, and probably a team psychologist, for his players to wake up to the reality of the big responsibility they now carry.
This is no longer the pre-season where Dynamos dominated their opponents and Motor Action coach Joey Antipas got it right in reading the Glamour Boys techniques before the 11 841 fans who paid their way into Rufaro.
Motor Action grossed US$39 948 on the day they also bagged three precious points.
Antipas believes that once his side had succeeded in squeezing life out of Gutu and Mukamba, they knew they had a good chance to win the game.
If there is a silver lining in the dark cloud hanging over the Dynamos camp, then it has to be the tranquility at the club despite the poor run of results and the sight of some of their fans saluting
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the team after the match on Sunday was refreshing.
The Harare giants’ midweek game against FC Platinum was last night hanging in the balance although PSL chief executive Kenny Ndebele said it was still on.
“As of now, the game between Dynamos and FC Platinum is still on at Rufaro on Wednesday (tomorrow), unless otherwise.
“But we have suspended the league matches for this weekend and will resume on Good Friday,” said Ndebele.
While Dynamos’ game against FC Platinum is in the balance, it’s certain that he Glamour Boys will face Gunners in the semi-final of the Independence Cup.
“Dynamos will play Gunners in the Independence Cup semi-final at Rufaro on Saturday while Motor Action will play Highlanders at Barbourfields on the same day,” he said.
Ndebele said the final of the Independence Cup will be at the National Sports Stadium on Monday while the third place play-offs will be at White City on the same day.
Dynamos’ Start To The Championship (DeMbare Score First)
2011 – vs Kiglon (0-1); vs Motor Action (0-2)
2010 – vs Highlanders (1-0); vs CAPS United (2-1)
2009 – vs Underhill (3-0); vs Black Rhinos (3-0)
2008 – vs CAPS United (1-1); vs Lancashire Steel (2-0)
2007 – vs Eastern Lions (0-1); vs Hwange (2-1)
2006 – vs Shooting Stars (1-0); vs Black Rhinos (2-1)
2005 – vs Masvingo United (3-1); vs Railstars (1-0)
2004 – vs Zim Saints (2-4); vs Sporting Lions (3-0)
2003 – vs Black Rhinos (0-1); vs CAPS United (0-2)
2002 – vs Railstars (1-0); vs Shabanie (0-3)
2001 – vs Shabanie (1-2); vs Buffaloes (2-1)
2000 – vs Bufflaoes (1-4); Highlanders (3-0).
Online Reporter