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Augustine Hwata Senior Sports Reporter
DYNAMOS coach Callisto Pasuwa says his team still has a lot of work to do before they reach the levels needed to make a mark in the African Champions League this year.
The DeMbare coach says he observed some loopholes that need to be plugged although he was happy to see the Glamour Boys turning on the power in the second half to beat Mochudi Centre Chiefs 3-0 at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.
The Harare giants struggled to find the target on a wet afternoon before a second half brace from Washington Pakamisa and a goal by newboy Masimba Mambare gave them a comfortable victory.
But Pasuwa observed the lack of fluency by his team although he remains hopeful they will improve in the next game.
After having dominated the early stages, before play was stopped to mark the lines, Pasuwa felt his charges took their foot off the pedal after the resumption although they managed to find their rhythm in the second half.
“When we came back in the second quarter of the game (after 25-minute stoppage) Mochudi were way above us and maybe it was the (wrong) attitude by some of the guys,” said Pasuwa.
“We had to fight to get those balls. Sometimes we were leaving spaces and they were capitalising on that.
“But in the second half we came okay, which was good, although we could have buried more than five chances and we could have gone to Botswana with a five-goal cushion.”
Despite getting a seemingly healthy win, Pasuwa said Dynamos still have to remain on alert to preserve their advantage in the return leg in Gaborone.
“They are a good side, they play very well and in the first 45 minutes we could not break their defence as they congested their midfield.
“But we were getting possession although I felt they were above us in terms of combination play. In the second half we came good and came through the wings to get the goals,” said Pasuwa.
The Dynamos coach said he will never underrate a team like the Botswana champions as they can return to haunt them.
“Having been told about Mochudi, I was ready to meet a good side and (Botswana) football has improved and you can never underrate them. They kept shape, every time they were building from the back.
“I would like to thank the Botswana side for playing very well. The difference in the match was in terms of goals only.
“These guys are in the midst of their calendar and they are way above us in terms of match fitness. So we have to soldier on with some of the guys I was with at the CHAN tournament,” said Pasuwa.
In his current squad Dynamos had eight players who were part of the Warriors squad at the African Nations Champions finals in South Africa Yesterday Pasuwa used goalkeeper George Chigova, Patson Jaure, Masimba Mambare, Tawanda Muparati, Augustine Mbara and Oscar Machapa while Simba Sithole and Themba Ndlovu were not used.
However, Chiefs felts their Zimbabwean international Elvis Meleka was harshly punished for a foul, that never was, on Cliff Sekete in the second half, to concede a penalty.
“It was a tough game for our boys but that was because we did not anticipate the weather conditions. We were not really technically sure on the kind of opponents we were going to meet.
“I believe that after this game, we are not going to give up. We are going to prepare for Dynamos in our backyard and after what we have seen, we are confident that we can reverse the scoreline,” said Chiefs assistant coach Odirila Mathlaka. The visitors unleashed two Zimbabweans in defender Arnold Chaka and midfielder Meleka.
“Football can be a funny game in the sense that it’s a game of decision making and sometimes some decisions are wrong in the judgment of the other person,” said Mathlaka.
“Some of the decisions can even affect the result of the game and I am talking about the penalty.
“The decision turned everything upside down and from the penalty we never saw a good game because our players lost concentration because of the belief that the decision was unfair .
“Boys are boys and they will always feel that we are robbed and to an extent that was what happened,” said Mathlaka.
Chiefs general manager Sebelo Morakhanyame felt referee Anibal Antonio aided Dynamos to their win.
“We were robbed and in my entire football career, I have never seen such a bad decision. It does not matter that the rains fell heavily because it affected both teams, which was good.
“But we contained Dynamos up until this (penalty) decision. I do not have the right words for it but God is watching and this can happen to anybody and it can also happen to Dynamos.
“Maybe it could have been them (Dynamos) here talking like this,” said Morakhanyane.
Online Reporter