Mutasa misses target

in the first 10 Castle Lager Premiership games, but the Dynamos leadership is sticking with their man.
The Glamour Boys crashed to their fourth defeat of the season, going down 1-2 to Blue Ribbon at Rufaro, in a result that shattered their fans’ morale ahead of the 67th edition of the Harare Derby against CAPS United at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
The Green Machine will have the bragging rights, going into that big match, as they are enjoying a two-point advantage over their bitter rivals.
Mutasa has come under increasing pressure from the Dynamos fans and it has since emerged that he missed the targets set for him by the club’s leadership when they brought him on board.
The Herald can reveal today that Mutasa and his technical team were given a target of a minimum of 24 points, from their first 10 league games, as part of the agreement that brought them to Dynamos.
Interestingly, Dynamos picked up a maximum 27 points, from their first nine league matches last year with Elvis Chiweshe.
DeMbare lost the 10th match, going down 1-2 to Motor Action, but after 13 games – the same number of matches that Mutasa and his men have played this year – Chuchu and his crew had 32 points, winning 10, drawing two and losing one.
Today, after 13 games, Dynamos have 19 points, 13 points adrift of their total at the same stage last year, and the Glamour Boys have lost FOUR games already with half of the season still to be completed.
Chuchu and his men lost FOUR games all season last year but still that wasn’t good enough to win them the championship they lost to Motor Action on goal difference.
To match what Chuchu did, in terms of lost matches, Mutasa will have to complete the remainder of the season unbeaten.
It means beating CAPS United home and away, winning in Masvingo and Hwange, winning at FC Platinum and beating bogey side, Motor Action.
Part of the deal that brought Mutasa and his crew to Dynamos did not only target a minimum of 24 points, in the first 10 league games, but also wanted the club to play in the group stages of the Champions League.
That, too, is a target that hasn’t been met after Mutasa became the first coach in 30 years to fail to take Dynamos beyond the first round of the Champions League.
But the DeMbare leadership is not pressing the panic button yet.
Dynamos chairman Farai Munetsi yesterday threw his full weight behind the coach.
“We are a family and we work closely with the technical team. We are in constant discussions with them and the positive thing is that we will be going out there to beef up our squad during the mid-season transfer period.
“It’s unfortunate we conceded two penalties against Blue Ribbon. That really affected our game, otherwise we had a good outing,” he said.
Munetsi insisted DeMbare will be competitive in the second round, as they trail log leaders Motor Action by seven points.
The Dynamos chairman, however, hinted that he expected the coaches to turn around things in their next three assignments against CAPS United and Chicken Inn to prop up their diminishing hopes.
“Yes, we might have had a very promising pre-season build-up but there is no need to look at bygones at this point.
“We have to be positive and we are not pressing panic buttons yet because anything can happen. It’s only seven points that separate us from the team at the top.
“But our next three games are very crucial. We have the derby against CAPS United coming up this week and this one is a must-win.
“Then we have back-to-back matches against Chicken Inn which are also very important for us to collect points,” said Munetsi.
Dynamos have been playing in fits and starts this season and their strikeforce has been a major letdown.
Reports indicate that they have Clive Kawinga while a window could possibly be opened for a possible return of Cuthbert Malajila to the club.
There is also concern, within the Dynamos camp, that Mutasa is surrounded by lieutenants who don’t add value to the bench and, without a helping hand from Callisto Pasuwa, he has looked different from the strategist who shone at Kiglon.
Dynamos fans also want the team to return to the old system where the players prayed on the goalline before every match.
Their rivals CAPS remained in fifth position with 21 points from 13 games.
The Green Machine will welcome Zimbabwe international leftback Asani Nhongo at their training session today.
Nhongo, who was part of the Warriors that won the Cosafa Senior Challenge Cup two years ago, returns home after a spell in Mozambique.
Monomotapa, who have become the league’s draw specialists with eight stalemates. were also unchanged at 10th place and 17 points to their credit.
Monomotapa coach Taurai Mangwiro, touted as a future Dynamos coach, conceded that they needed to transform their attractive game into victories after losing only two and winning three games.
“We had good chances but we just could not win it. Right now we are not too worried with the log standings because we are not very far off the leaders. We just need to improve in certain areas and our campaign will be on the right track.

“Otherwise I don’t see ourselves struggling to survive relegation at the end of the season.
“We have a fairly good team comprising a lot of young players and a few experienced ones and they have given a good account.
“We have good ball players but we haven’t been able to finish our moves.
“Even if we are the team with the most draws than any other, we take encouragement in the fact that most of the points were picked away from home. We just need to step up a bit and start winning more,” said Mangwiro.
FC Platinum’s new coach Rahman Gumbo was the biggest winner at the weekend after his side beat Hwange 1-0 away at the Colliery to go level on points with leaders Motor Action in the table.
Donald Dombo grabbed the winning goal to ensure that Gumbo continues with his dream start back home after spending six years out of the country.
Gumbo, however, chose to remain modest after the win, which was his second in as many games in charge after beating Highlanders 2-0 upon his return.
“I think we were psychologically prepared for the game against Hwange. I have only been back in Zimbabwean football two weeks now, after an absence of almost six years.
“So I cannot say much at the moment. We are taking each game as it comes because I am still trying to get to know the players better.
“The league looks competitive, however, and it’s going to be exciting.
“The support at home is very encouraging and we hope to make full use of it here in Zvishavane,” said Gumbo.
Highlanders bounced back into the top three with a 3-0 demolition of Zimbabwe Saints in a Bulawayo derby on Sunday.