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Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
ORLANDO Pirates are leading the race to sign Zimbabwe international defender Partson Jaure following the Dynamos star’s excellent performance for the Warriors at the 2014 African Nations Championships in South Africa. The Buccaneers, one of the biggest football clubs on the continent, have already contacted Jaure’s management team with the next step being to contact his club, DeMbare, where the defence pillar has a contract until December 31 this year.
The 23-year-old defender captained the Warriors at CHAN and was a key player as Ian Gorowa and his men became the first senior national football team to progress from the group stages of a continental football tournament.
Dynamos secretary-general Webster Chikengezha told The Herald on Monday that a number of South African clubs have shown interest in Jaure and, yesterday, it was established that Pirates, who reached the final of the African Champions League last year before losing to Egyptian giants Al Ahly, were leading the race for his signature.
“Pirates officials have been talking to the player’s representatives and they have shown a lot of interest to get Partson to join them at the end of the current season in South Africa,” sources told The Herald.
“The Pirates chairman, Dr Irvin Khosa, is personally involved in trying to secure Partson and you know that he is a very powerful man who usually gets what he wants, especially where he invests his personal involvement.
“Pirates feel they need to re-organise their squad, from defence to attack, and Partson impressed them with his coolness and leadership qualities at CHAN and they feel that he is a man who can be a good investment for the team.
“They also like the fact that he is young and he can grow in their system.”
The Soweto giants have a crisis in their defence, which has led to this decision to invest in the department, with skipper Lucky Lekgwathi, who turns 37 in August, unlikely to be offered another contract extension when his current deal, expires in July.
Another key defender, Siyabonga Sangweni, has also become injury prone and reports in South Africa yesterday said his recovery had suffered another major setback.
His case has been helped by the fact that he has slipped on the wrong side of 30, given that he turns 33 in September, and his contract, also, runs out at the end of the season.
The third key central defender, Rooi Mahamutsa, is only expected to return from injury in two weeks’ time after undergoing surgery and, like Sangweni, he also turns 33 in October and his contract, crucially, runs out this season.
“Partson has a very good chance of breaking into Pirates but then they are not the only team who are interested in his services as they are a number of South African clubs in the race right now,” said the sources.
“Today (yesterday), a Turkish side also entered the race and made enquiries on the player, the duration of his contract at his current club, the number of times he has played for the national team and also in the Caf Champions League.
“Partson, one can say with certainty, will not be around for the second half of the season.”
Meanwhile, DeMbare vice-captain Tawanda Muparati believes his team will need to raise their game a gear up when they clash with Mochudi Centre Chiefs in the return leg of the Champions League preliminary round tie at the University of Botswana Stadium this Sunday.
The Harare giants kicked off their continental campaign with a morale-boosting 3-0 win at the National Sports Stadium over the weekend courtesy of a brace from Washington Pakamisa and another strike by Masimba Mambare.
DeMbare are scheduled to leave early morning tomorrow by road for the second leg in Gaborone. Muparati told The Herald yesterday that Dynamos will not be flattered into complacency by the apparently comfortable lead.
“The main aim is to go there and finish off the job that we started here. I am glad we had an encouraging start with that win. We need a positive mentality and we want another win but I am not sure if it’s going to be a stroll in the park,” said Muparati.
“I think most of you watched the match on Sunday and Chiefs showed that they are not a bad side. They have some good players in their team and they have been playing together continuously in their league which is now in its second half of the season.
“Now it’s advantage to them because they are the home team. We should expect an even tougher outing.”
The last time Dynamos visited Botswana in 2010 under Elvis Chiweshe they found the going tough as they lost 1-0 to Gaborone United in the same competition and only managed to pull through to the next stage thanks to their 4-1 win at the National Sports Stadium in the first leg.
DeMbare, who conducted a light training session on Monday, will resume their preparations this morning after giving the players time off yesterday.
The technical side felt the players needed to recover from the effects of Sunday’s game, which was played under difficult wet conditions.
Team manager Richard Chihoro said striker Simba Sithole and newboy Tafadzwa Rusike, who missed the first match due to knocks, were still being assessed by the medical team.
Coach Callisto Pasuwa should finalise his travelling squad by end of day. DeMbare’s performance especially in the first half was not convincing, probably because of the long off-season lay-off.
But they frequented the Chiefs’ goal area more and were wasteful in front of goal as compared to their rivals who only managed one shot on target.
Pasuwa and his charges will also need to turn a new leaf in away assignments as he seeks his first away win in continental assignments since he took over in 2011.
Meanwhile, Dynamos have appointed former treasurer Moses Chikwariro to spearhead their supporters’ membership drive.
Chikwariro chairs a four-member committee appointed by the board in November.
They will get their membership drive into gear this week when they lead a group of supporters to Botswana to cheer on the team against Mochudi Centre Chiefs.
The supporters have received two 60-seater buses from Nyaradzo Group.
Chikwariro said supporters who wish to travel on the buses should be registered by their committee.
“The buses leave on Saturday morning and return soon after the match. We have got limited places for this trip so we are saying only registered supporters will get on the buses. Registration is taking place in all cities and towns.
“Membership fee for general membership is US$7 for the whole year but, in this case, an extra US$5 will be charged for the travelling fee.
“We will enter into the second phase of registration later on when we shall introduce other categories such as silver and gold. The purpose of this drive is to have an official register of the club’s supporters.
“Dynamos has many supporters and we are beginning this process to register them so that the club gets positive benefits from its support base,” said Chikwariro.
Online Reporter