Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi, Zimpapers Sports Hub
Dynamos 0-0 Kwekwe United
DISGRUNTLED Dynamos supporters yesterday refused to entertain head coach Lloyd “Mablanyo” Chigowe after the giants produced yet another drab performance in a drawn Castle Lager Premiership match against struggling Kwekwe United at Rufaro Stadium.
Chigowe’s efforts to pacify the dejected crowd in the Vietnam Bay turned awry as the DeMbare faithful were clearly unhappy after watching their side fail to score for a fourth consecutive game.
The Dynamos fans would have none of it, and Chigowe was forced to turn back halfway after the crowd rose in a chorus of disapproval.
“Yeah, it’s normal and natural at Dynamos,” he said.
“Even if you look at Scottland, they are not happy with draws. So, you must expect that when results are not coming, the fans will not be fond.
“They’ll not be happy, and I understand that pretty well because they want a win nothing less, nothing more.”
The Dynamos fans felt their team missed a big chance to bag a rare win against a side whose preparations were hampered by instability in the camp due to financial strife.
Kwekwe United, who failed to fulfil a home fixture against Herentals in Gweru because of these squabbles, yesterday matched DeMbare in all departments, and a point was huge for them considering they had only about 24 hours to prepare for the duel.
The visitors wanted to avoid defeat at all costs and slowed down the game at every opportunity to frustrate their hosts, who were under pressure following a disappointing run of three defeats in succession.
Kwekwe United had a strong penalty appeal turned down in the 28th minute when DeMbare midfield strongman Shadreck Nyahwa handled the ball inside the penalty box.
Their forward Maxwell Murimba, who was a threat to the DeMbare defence for most of the afternoon, then blasted his shot over the bar from close range with the Dynamos defenders at sea.
However, DeMbare had more scoring opportunities which they squandered. Ghanaian Frank Agyemang and Elton Chikona were the main culprits.
Agyemang was gifted possession inside the penalty box following a defensive blunder, but made a poor decision to blast his shot straight into the badly exposed goalkeeper Lenon Gonese’s legs.
The Ghanaian later crashed a header against the crossbar as DeMbare searched for the elusive goal in the dying minutes.
Experienced forward Valentine Kadonzvo also had an opportunity just before the breather when he almost caught the goalkeeper off his line, but his attempted lob narrowly missed the target.
The back-pedalling Gonese crashed against the upright, causing a brief delay.
“I thought we dominated and created goal-scoring opportunities. Unfortunately, our Achilles’ heel has been finishing. I think we did everything,” said Chigowe.
“The boys gave their heart out to get a result. It’s unfortunate we ended up sharing the spoils. I think sometimes it’s a question of psychology, a question of confidence.
“Once these boys hit the net, I think one of these days they’ll tear another team apart. You saw the clear chances that Frank Agyemang got, the header.
“You saw Elton’s corner miss a lot, but I think it’s a question of us getting one goal,” said Chigowe.
He also felt Kwekwe United, despite sitting bottom of the table going into the fixture, were not easy opponents.
“The problem with Kwekwe United is not about ability; it is about their financial woes, which are way beyond every other team. You saw yesterday they received a windfall from elsewhere and they were motivated. In Kariba, they actually had to be persuaded to leave the changing room.
“They were not interested in playing. And today I think their motivation levels were high. So, if you saw that they’ve drawn against two of the big giants in the league, it tells you that they’ve got pedigree,” said Chigowe.
Dynamos dropped into 14th place with the draw, with seven points from eight games. The draw was good enough to lift Kwekwe United off the bottom of the table, but they remained in the bottom three.
However, only one point now separates them from Dynamos. Saul Chaminuka’s men looked comfortable on the ball yesterday, powered by veterans such as Allen Gahadzikwa, Masimba Mambare, and Denis Dauda.
Winger Andile Taruvinga could have punished the hosts after he was released inside the box by veteran midfielder Allen Gahadzikwa, but blasted his effort wide late in the game.
“I think the boys did a good job today,” said Kwekwe United coach Chaminuka.
“We probably wouldn’t have come again for this game against Dynamos. But, you know, players being who they are if they say they want to play, they will play. If they say they don’t want to play, you will see it with what happens on the field.
“I’m happy that we had a good performance, we looked organised, and I think we had answers to a lot of questions that we asked in the field of play.
“This must see us getting off the basement and going up. And maybe in a few games, we will start to compete because I don’t think these other teams have run away with the possibility of winning the title.
“We are still very much within, and I think we still have 10 games in this first round. As long as the boys are prepared to support us, we will go through,” said Chaminuka.
