Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube, Zimpapers Sports Hub
DYNAMOS coach Kelvin Kaindu has urged his players to stay grounded despite a recent run of positive results in both the Castle Lager Premiership and the Chibuku Super Cup.
The Glamour Boys have moved to within five points of safety with 10 matches still to play, but Kaindu insists there is no room for complacency.
“There’s still a lot of games to be played, 30 points to be won. We picked up maximum points in our last game, and the other teams in the relegation race also won,” he said.
For all their decorated past, more than 20 league titles and over 30 other trophies, Dynamos face what could be the biggest fight for survival in their 62-year history. Kaindu believes that history should serve as fuel for the players, not a cushion.
“I have been there for a few days. In my first week, we had midweek games, so there wasn’t enough time, but I was welcomed well. We bonded quickly and managed to change one or two things,” Kaindu said, reflecting on his fortnight at the club.
The Zambian tactician says his decision to accept the job was anchored on faith and his belief that DeMbare will avoid relegation.
“It’s a decision that I made based on faith. We are slowly improving with each game but we need not to get carried away. There is a huge points gap, but slowly every game is giving us hope that at the end of the tunnel there is light,” said the God-fearing former youth international, who won multiple league titles with Zanaco in Zambia.
Kaindu admitted that the pressure at Dynamos mirrors what he faced at Highlanders, where the demand is always to win. Moving from Bosso to DeMbare was never going to be an easy decision.
“It’s not an easy decision to make moving from one big team to the other,” he said.
“While at Highlanders, I had staunch Dynamos friends who supported me and even wished I could coach their side, and that made the decision a little easier.”
He conceded, though, that being dismissed by Highlanders in June was a shock, especially since he was forced to work with limited resources during his tenure.
“I think it honestly came as a surprise, looking at the way we were playing. We assembled a team from those who came for trials,” Kaindu said.
His Bosso spell was marked by the release of seasoned campaigners such as Peter Muduhwa, Mafios Chihweta, Godfrey Makaruse, Marvelous Chigumira and Divine Mhindirira.
Just weeks after his departure, the club had access to Wicknell Chivayo’s US$50 000 injection for player signings, a financial boost Kaindu never enjoyed.
derick.khumalo