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Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
DYNAMOS coach, Tonderayi Ndiraya feels their run in the Chibuku Super Cup shows they have a team which can compete for honours in the domestic Premiership.
The Glamour Boys’ 13-match unbeaten run, in the country’s flagship knock-out tournament, ended after they suffered a 0-1 defeat to FC Platinum.
The Zvishavane miners needed extra-time, and a special goal, to find a way past the Harare giants, in the semi-finals of the Chibuku Super Cup, on Sunday.
Midfielder Innocent Mucheneka broke the DeMbare hearts with a well-taken free kick. Ndiraya told journalists he was now shifting focus to the league competition, as they prepare for the trip to Triangle, this Sunday. “We knew that we were going to lose one day and I think we were prepared mentally for that,’’ said Ndiraya.
“We spoke to our players and I think it’s going to show our character, losing for the first time after 13 games, and how we are going to pick ourselves from this setback.
“I want to take this as a temporary setback but it’s something we want to see to measure if our team is really mentally strong.
“There are league games, which are coming shortly, and we would really need to recover quickly, and getting back to winning ways, again.
“But, it’s really been difficult for us.
“To analyse the whole tournament, we are the only team from Harare which played 13 games to date, and we were competing against teams that played four games less.
“I think this had taken its toll on the players.” DeMbare were the only team that had an unbeaten run all the way to the semi-finals. They were runner-away winners in Group A, where they finished eight points clear, of the nearest rivals. They then brushed aside a tough challenge, from Black Rhinos, in the quarter-finals, winning 1-0 at Baobab.
But, FC Platinum, who also had a solid run, were always going to be tough opponents, in the last four.
“I think I said it in my pre-match interview that we are playing a team that has been together for some time,’’ said Ndiraya.
“They’ve been to the Champions League, they’ve got a team but, I think, we are getting there, judging by the way we then took the game to them.
“That is what giving us hope.
“For us to get this far was through hard work from everyone, it’s unfortunate we had to lose in front of our supporters, who tried to cheer their team on.
“But, I am happy with how the team performed in the whole tournament, I’m quite impressed, we can only improve and get better with more games.
“Our focus is now on the league games.’’
Fixtures
Friday: Cranborne Bullets vs Bulawayo Chiefs (NSS)
Saturday: FC Platinum vs Chicken Inn (Mandava)
Yadah vs ZPC Kariba (Baobab)
Herentals vs Black Rhinos (NSS)
Bulawayo City vs Manica Diamonds (Barbourfields)
Tenax CS vs Whawha (Sakubva)
Sunday: Highlanders vs Ngezi Platinum Stars (Barbourfields), Triangle United vs Dynamos (Gibbo), CAPS United vs Harare City (NSS)
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