Vusumuzi Dube
Langton Nyakwenda, [email protected]
TELMORE “Kante” Pio is not a regular scorer, so when he found the net at Rufaro on Sunday it stood out.
His goal helped Dynamos claw their way back in a 2-2 draw against Highlanders, and it has given the team a lift ahead of their trip to Bulawayo where they face Bulawayo Chiefs tomorrow.
This is a fixture Dynamos have not always controlled. Since Chiefs came into the top flight in 2018, the numbers tell the story. Ten league meetings, three wins each, four draws.
It has also carried consequences. The last time they met at Barbourfields in August 2024, a 1-1 draw cost Genesis Mangombe his job a day later.
He is back now. Reappointed in January, he has overseen two games so far, a 2-1 win over TelOne and the draw against Highlanders where his side twice came from behind.
There are signs of progress. Dynamos have scored four goals in two matches. Last season they needed ten games to reach two.
Inside the camp, the shift is being felt.
Pio, who came on as a second half substitute against Highlanders, is still processing his moment. It was only his second goal in a ten year top flight career.
“I am very happy and excited,” he said. “It gives me belief that I can do it more. I now have the courage to score.”
The players were paid a draw bonus after the Highlanders game, and there is expectation of more if results improve. That, coupled with a strong turnout at Rufaro, has added to the mood in camp.
“As players we are in good spirits,” Pio said. “That performance against Highlanders motivated us even though we didn’t win. We are going there to get three points.”
Chiefs remain a difficult opponent, especially at home, and the record between the sides leaves little room for comfort.
Dynamos leave for Bulawayo today, with another assignment lined up on Sunday against newcomers Agama at Wadzanayi. The next few days will show whether this early season improvement can hold.
Online Reporter