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Ishemunyoro Chingwere
DYNAMOS striker Rodrick Mutuma has warned FC Platinum that they are up against the wrath of an injured giant when the two sides clash in a Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final at the National Sports this afternoon. DeMbare take on FC Platinum in a headline clash of the quarters at 3.30pm after the ZPC Kariba against How Mine tie at lunch time at the same venue.
The Glamour Boys were humiliated 3-1 in a league clash by the Chibuku champions in a league clash last weekend at Mandava a defeat which saw them slipping seven points adrift of log leaders Chicken Inn.
The FC Platinum attacking machine ran riot on the afternoon with Tatenda Dzumbunu, Brian Muzondiwa, Gerald Takwara and Obrey Chirwa exposing Dynamos’ defensive frailties.
With the dream of an unprecedented fifth league title on the bounce slowly fading away, their hope for major silverware rests in the Chibuku Super Cup and it is the same trophy which interim coach Tonderai Ndiraya can use to push for a substantive job at the club.
Mutuma reckons they owe it to the institution they represent to reverse the humiliation they suffered last week and reassert their dominance of local football.
“Dynamos is a big institution which must not be humiliated like what happened last week at Mandava,” Mutuma reckons.
“But we are very luck in that we have been given the opportunity to turn the tables on them (FC Platinum) when pain of that defeat is still fresh amongst us.
“It’s a tricky game but we will throw everything at them to win and coming from that defeat, our priority number one will obviously be on revenge,” said Mutuma.
Mutuma refused to buy into the assertion that the Chibuku Super Cup holders are on a purple patch saying they owe their win last weekend to Dynamos’ “shortcomings on the day”.
Having gone for four matches without finding the back of the net, “The Prince”, who is yet to score in the country’s premier Cup tournament, is not at his usual best but said only those who do not know him will bet against him scoring.
Norman Mapeza is bracing for a grueling encounter and told our sister paper The Herald that his charges will push to the limits.
“I think this is going to be another massive game but we have to take into consideration that these are two different competitions as well.
“I believe both teams want to go far in this tournament, which makes it a difficult game. We know we have to push to the limits,” said Mapeza.
His Dynamos counterpart Ndiraya said he got the perfect response he needed from his men when they emphatically dispatched Whawha 5-1 in a mid week league fixture and expects his team to turn on the power today.
“We take a positive into the FC Platinum match in that after the previous loss, the team responded well today (against Whawha) and the confidence is back,” said Ndiraya.
“I know the team is still mourning that defeat away in Zvishavane so a win on Sunday (today) will go a long way in giving us that extra push that we need at this time of the season.
“They (FC Platinum) are playing good football but they are not a special team. Are they?
“We aided their cause last time and gave them soft goals. I have been telling the boys that our defending on the day was poor and we cannot continue like that if we are to win silverware.
“Dynamos enters every tournament with the sole objective of winning it so we will be competing to win the cup but at the same time we appreciate the threat that FC Platinum pose,” he said.
In another match at the same venue How Mine begins life without fired coach Luke Masomere when they take on ZPC Kariba.
Fixtures at NSS
ZPC Kariba v How Mine (1300hrs)
FC Platinum v Dynamos (1530hrs)
Bongani Ndlovu