Dynamos shares spoils

Curtworth Masango, Zimpapers Sport Hub
Dynamos played to a goalless draw against Manica Diamonds yesterday at Rufaro in a league encounter. The draw left both teams with a chance to have a top-four finish.

A depleted Dynamos side rocked with many troubles missed several players that saw coach Lloyd Mablanyo Chigowe giving youngster Vusa Ngwenya his first start.

The youngster was deployed as a right-back in a game he never put a foot wrong. Speaking after the game Chigowe said it was a tough match for both sides but he welcomed the hard-won point.

“It was a tough match and not easy for both sides. We did create one or two chances we should have taken. “At this level, if you do not take your chances, you will pay dearly. But at the end of the day, we managed to settle for a goalless draw.

“Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to disclose the challenges we are facing, but I also introduced my young nugget, Vusa Ngwenya. The next game will also introduce another one, and hopefully, the internal issues will have been resolved.

“It’s been a season of ups and downs, not as smooth as we wanted but in the end, we settle for what is on the table and we can finish in the top four.”

Manica Diamonds head coach Jairos Tapera appreciated his boys and labelled their performance as satisfying.

“Dynamos played according to what we expected them to do,” he said.
“We were organised defensively and managed to control the situations that were coming to us and we restricted them from entering the box.

“But we had chances that we created in the first-half. I think we could have taken them but that’s football and I am delighted with my team,” he said.

Tapera said his side is developing well and given an opportunity they will rise to be the best. At one point they were poised for the title but a slump dip in form reduced their chances.

“They have risen to be one of the best teams in the league. Last year we finished second in the league and we reached the quarter-finals in the Chibuku. This year we reached the semi-finals in the Chibuku and we still stand a chance to reach the top four.

“In terms of a team that is developing we have made much progress and given an opportunity going forward, things might be better.

“When we went to the national duty and came back, we failed to replicate what we have done in the first 10 games. Imagine we went for 10 games, drew seven and lost three and I think that’s where we lost the plot. But we reorganised ourselves and started picking points but it was very late, that was a learning curve,” said Tapera.

Charles Teguru was the first to fluff a big chance with the Dynamos goalkeeper Tatenda Makoni off the line and it was Donald Dzvinyai who made a goal-line clearance in the 12th minute.

Bhero almost put the visitors in the lead after a miscued pass from Temptation Chiwunga but Makoni was up to the task four minutes later.

Dynamos did not come up with meaningful chances until Ziocha came close in the 18th minute but his shot went inches wide.
Mudadi was denied by Tedious Baye in the 34th minute after being set by Kadonzvo to find the back of the net.

There was nothing much to talk about at half-time as both teams struggled to create big chances in front of goal. The game started slowly with both sides looking for stability but the same modus operandi continued.

Chakoroma almost put Manica in the lead with a ferocious freekick that was parried away by Makoni in the 48th minute.
And there was no other clear cut chance created in the second-half.