Online Reporter
Fungai Muderere, Zimpapers Sports Hub
KELVIN Kaindu believes divine guidance is fuelling Dynamos’ late-season surge, as the Harare giants climbed to 15th on the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League table with 32 points — edging closer to safety.
The soft-spoken, God-fearing coach, who was fired by Highlanders, says faith and self-belief have transformed his squad.
“The revival is rooted in the beliefs that both I and the players hold in God. It has taken the players’ acceptance and belief in themselves,” said the Zambian gaffer.
Dynamos secured a crucial victory over CAPS United in a high-stakes Harare derby, witnessed by thousands of fans.
Meanwhile, Highlanders — Kaindu’s former club — slipped to ninth with 34 points after a 1-1 home draw against ZPC Kariba.
“We still have several games (five) to play. We need to keep fighting and finish in a respectable position.
“We’ve simply asked the players to shift their mindset and believe in themselves.
“We’re immensely grateful for the massive crowd we had on Sunday. Seeing them sing and dance was wonderful,” Kaindu said.
Week 29 action also saw the league surpass the 456-goal mark.
TelOne striker Washington Navaya remains the top scorer with 15 goals, followed by Tymone Machope of Scottland FC and Billy Vheremu of MWOS, both on 12 goals.
Leading scorers (after 29 weeks,
456 goals)
15
Washington Navaya (TelOne)
12
Tymone Machope (Scottland)
Billy Vheremu (MWOS)
9
Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya (FC Platinum)
8
Reason Sibanda (Highlanders)
Isaskar Guribsab (Simba Bhora)
7
Innocent Masiyiwa (Bikita Minerals)
Charles Munyanyi (ZPC Kariba)
6
Jarrison Selemani (FC Platinum), Aaron Zekhaa (Triangle), Francis Mustafa (Yadah)
5
Brian Muza (Chicken Inn), Obriel Chirinda (Ngezi Platinum), Talent Chamboko (Ngezi Platinum), Junior Makunike (Simba Bhora), Tawanda Macheke (TelOne), Fanuel Shoko (ZPC Kariba)
Yet Chihoro was sanctioned for holding his own rituals at Dynamos. Why are people so double faced? Why should Christian rituals be allowed at football matches when African beliefs are treated as crime? If African juju should be kept off the football fields, so should be Christian practices. Players must be banned from praying on the field or showing signs that depict their beliefs. Keep those to churches and shrines, not on football fields. Afterall God is for everyone. It makes absolute nonsense to attribute winning a football match to God. How about the team that would have lost? Don’t those players belong to God too? Didn’t they too pray at the goal posts? Stop this nonsense of employing pastors as football coaches. They belong behind pulpits, not on the football fields.