Dynamos storm into Chibuku Super Cup final

Tadious Manyepo, Harare Bureau

Dynamos 1-1 Manica Diamonds
(Dynamos won 4-2 in penalties)

DYNAMOS put behind problems that saw them bunk training for the better part of last week to book a place in the Chibuku Super Cup final after recording, in smash-and-grab fashion, this lottery victory in the semis at Rufaro yesterday.

That means, for the first time since the return of the biggest knock-out tournament in the country 11 years ago, the final will be a repeat of the last edition as the Glamour Boys will date Ngezi Platinum who also triumphed on penalties against Simba Bhora on Saturday.

Yet the defending champions trailed for most of the game after conceding rather softly from Bret Amidu 19 minutes into the match.

But they found a way to rally back into it, four minutes into the five additional minutes through a turn-and-shoot effort from substitute Emmanuel Paga to force penalties.

It was more or less the same script at the same venue when Valentine Kadonzvo got the equaliser late on to drag their quarter-final against Yadah to penalties where they emerged victorious.

And all their four takers were collected — Frank Makarati, Eli Ilunga, Arthur Musiyiwa and Kadonzvo all scored while Manica Diamonds’ Forster Dhemere couldn’t beat Dynamos ‘keeper Martin Mapisa and Takunda Jeffrey blasted his effort wide.

Gerald Bero and Farai Banda hit the target for the Mutare side.

Until Paga crafted the last-minute goal for Dynamos, the match had gone exactly the way it was expected with the Glamour Boys struggling all afternoon.

They did not train for three days last week, staging sit-ins as they demanded their outstanding bonuses and sign-on fees.

The strike even claimed the scalp of midfielder Tanaka Shandirwa who was suspended for allegedly leading the rebellion on Friday before the banishment was reversed barely hours after it was announced.

Shandirwa was however, conspicuously not part of the team yesterday and coach Lloyd “Mablanyo” Chigowe revealed the star had asked to be excused even when he had drafted him in the match-day squad.

Without the suspended Donald Mudadi and the “injured” Shadreck Nyahwa, DeMbare looked very much disoriented.

Their lack of training was showing as they were running aimlessly and tiring easily.

Concentration was problematic on their part and Amidu benefited from the lack thereof in a huge part after Mapisa failed to effectively clear the ball that then fell on Tawanda Macheke whose over-the-top lob was headed in by the diminutive former DeMbare man.

Manica Diamonds should have added two or three more goals but rather than taking advantage of Dynamos’ casual approach, they decided to sit back and on the occasions they got clear of goal, Macheke, Charles Teguru and Michael Tapera all failed to be decisive.

Jairos Tapera’s men’s lack of a cutting edge was always going to backfire and as Dynamos started to drift back into the match well into the second-half, Manica Diamonds lacked that option B.

They resorted to closing the shop but that worked only as it lasted.

And as they seemed poised to play their first-ever Chibuku Super Cup final, they went asleep at the back allowing Paga to pounce.

Chigowe was a happy man after the match.

“I am very excited with the fighting spirit that my boys showed,” said Chigowe.

“It was a game that we knew was going to be very difficult for us but we had a very good second-half.

“In the end, we managed to take it and win it.”

Tapera, on the other hand, decided to apportion the blame on Zifa.

The veteran gaffer last week complained that he needed his best players for the match and his club even went on to write a letter to Zifa asking for the withdrawal of defender Thubelihle Jubane who is in the Warriors Chan squad.

“But they refused,” Tapera retorted.

“Those are double standards and I squarely blame Zifa for our defeat. It was a blunder at central defence where he should have been.

“This (Chan) is not Fifa-sanctioned yet we lose our best players to that yet we have important matches.”

He went on to describe the situation using an unprintable word.

Teams

Dynamos
Martin Mapisa, Frank Makarati, Donald Dzvinyai, Freddy Alick (Emmanuel Paga 58min), Emmanuel Jalai, Temptation Chiwunga, Kevin Moyo (Arthur Musiyiwa 72min),Issah Sadiki (Eli Ilunga 83min), Nomore Chinyerere, Emmanuel Ziocha, Valentine Kadonzvo

Manica Diamonds
Geofrey Chitsumba, Farai Banda, Lawrence Masibera, Kelvin Gwao, Tawanda Chisi, Enoch Karembo (Nigel Mpinduki 83min), Bret Amidu, Tawanda Macheke (Fortune Binzi 74min), Michael Tapera (Forster Dhemere 56min), Charles Teguru (Gerald Bero 56min), Takunda Jeffrey