dyton mupawaenda
Eddie Chikamhi –Zimpapers Sports Hub
Dynamos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1
Simba Bhora . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
For three long weeks, the goals refused to come. The frustration mounted. The pressure built. A proud football institution looked lost, toothless, but at Rufaro Stadium yesterday, Dynamos finally remembered who they are.
And they did it against the biggest possible scalp.
Midfielder Shadreck Nyahwa was the unlikely hero as the Glamour Boys ended their winless run with a gritty 1-0 victory over reigning champions Simba Bhora, a result that could prove to be a turning point in their stuttering campaign.
The winning moment came in the 54th minute and was less a masterstroke and more a reward for persistence, and a slice of good fortune. A defensive howler by Simba Bhora’s William Thole and Isheanesu Mauchi gifted Nyahwa the ball inside the box after a short corner was lofted back in by Nomore Chinyerere.
The two defenders clashed in a moment of miscommunication, and Nyahwa pounced with precision, calmly rolling the ball into an empty net.
The relief was as loud as the goal celebration. For the first time in four matches, a Dynamos player had scored. The spell had been broken.
“I’m grateful for the performance by my team. They stuck to instructions,” said Dynamos coach Lloyd Chigowe, visibly relieved after the final whistle.
“We knew pretty well that after beating Simba Bhora in the Castle Challenge Cup, they would come at us. But we also knew we had to absorb pressure and take our chances – and indeed, we got that one opportunity and made it count.”
Dynamos had started the season with three successive draws, scoring just once through an own goal. The criticism was growing louder with each match, and Chigowe knew another poor result would turn up the heat even more.
This time, though, his players delivered.
Captain Emmanuel Jalai, often a silent workhorse, stepped up with a commanding display. The right-back was the heartbeat of the team, snuffing out threats, charging forward, and leading by example with a performance full of fight and conviction.
“We suffered a little bit today, but in the end, a sweet three points,” Chigowe said.
“When a team goes unbeaten, it’s a sign of strength. That we were not getting the three points, sometimes it’s due to circumstances beyond our control.”
The coach still hasn’t forgotten the 1-1 draw against TelOne last week, and he made sure to remind everyone about it.
“The second goal we scored against TelOne was a clear goal. Watching the replay, there’s no way it should have been disallowed. That day, we scored two, but unfortunately, that was beyond a coach’s control,” he said. “I still believe this team has a lot of talent. Going forward, we’ll give a number of other youngsters a chance to showcase themselves. It’s going to be a dog-eat-dog season – no game will be easy.”
For Simba Bhora, it was a painful lesson. After going three games unbeaten and not conceding a single goal, the champions were undone by a moment of carelessness and a lack of creativity up front.
Coach Joel Luphahla had freshened things up with a triple substitution at the break, bringing on Blessed Ndereki, Trevor Mavhunga, and Tinotenda Meke. The intention was clear, inject pace and attacking urgency. But the changes didn’t spark the desired response.
By the time he introduced former Dynamos star Donald Mudadi and forward Malvin Hwata in the 70th minute, the damage had already been done.
“Yeah, this thing was hanging over our shoulders,” said Lupahla, reflecting on the pressure of being the only team yet to concede before this match.
“I only got to know yesterday that we were the only ones with a clean sheet. Maybe that built some pressure. Unfortunately, our goalkeeper also conceded, and it was a soft goal.”
Lupahla refused to throw his players under the bus.
“Mistakes happen. Somebody has to make a mistake for a game to be decided, and unfortunately, it was us. It was our goalkeeper, after three clean sheets.
“But maybe now that the mark is off our backs, we can play our football without pressure. Sometimes, it’s harder when you’re unbeaten because that streak starts weighing on you.”
It wasn’t a classic by any means. The first half was cagey, scrappy, and devoid of real quality. Simba Bhora looked sharper in possession but failed to create meaningful chances, while Dynamos seemed determined to keep things tight and grow into the contest.
The game only sparked to life after 39 minutes when Simba skipper Blessing Moyo forced Dynamos goalkeeper Prince Tafiremutsa into a full-stretch save from a curling free-kick destined for the top corner.
Moments after the restart, Dynamos responded. Leeroy Mavhunga burst down the left and squared for Frank Agyemang, but Thole produced a sharp save. That move was a warning, and five minutes later, Simba Bhora’s luck ran out.
From a short corner on the right, Nomore Chinyerere swung in a teasing ball. The two defenders hesitated, and Nyahwa made them pay.
The Ghanaian Agyemang should have doubled the lead just after the hour, but he fluffed a golden chance, ballooning his shot over the bar after being teed up once again by the lively Mavhunga.
Despite Simba Bhora throwing everything forward in the final 15 minutes, Dynamos held firm. Tafiremutsa remained composed, while Jalai and Chinyerere marshalled the backline with grit and discipline.
The win lifted Dynamos into sixth place on the log standings with six points from four games, and crucially, it infused confidence into a team that had seemed short on belief.
Simba Bhora, on the other hand, dropped to 12th, still on five points. They remain a dangerous side, but the spark that defined their championship-winning run last year seemed absent on this outing.
Luphahla’s final word summed up a frustrating day for the visitors:
“It’s always difficult when you have not lost. Now we’ve lost and conceded – so the pressure is gone. But we have to correct what went wrong today and respond strongly in the next game.”
Teams:
Dynamos: Prince Tafiremutsa, Emmanuel Jalai, Tendai Magwaza, Nomore Chinyerere, Clive Mandivei, Shadreck Nyahwa, Frank Agyemang (E. Chikona 72’), Tellmore Pio, Vhusa Ngwenya, Leeroy Mavhunga (A. Gwatidzo 81’), Valentine Kadonzvo (R. Chingwara 76’)
Simba Bhora: William Thole, Chris Makambira (T. Mavhunga 46’), Webster Tafa, Isheanesu Mauchi, Blessing Moyo, Ishmael Nyanhi (T. Meke 46’), Butholezwe Ncube, Junior Makunike (B. Ndereki 46’), Emmanuel Ziocha (D. Mudadi 70’), Isakar Gurirab, William Manondo (M. Hwata 70’)
Online Reporter