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Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
DEFENDING champions Dynamos are expected to unleash returning striker Simba Sithole when they resume their defence of the Mbada Diamonds Cup at Rufaro tomorrow in a tricky assignment against a How Mine side that has nothing to lose.
The Glamour Boys team manager, Richard Chihoro, spent the better part of yesterday busy running around to register the Zimbabwe international striker to make him eligible to play tomorrow.
The Dynamos camp, which got to know on Thursday that Sithole’s reverse International Transfer Certificate had been issued by Safa, paving the way for his registration here, were relieved to successfully complete his registration yesterday.
Sithole made his comeback to the Glamour Boys this week after returning from South Africa where he had been released by SuperSport United and is set to be in the final 18 with expectations high that he will make his bow tomorrow.
His return is a blessing for the Harare giants who badly needed firepower to complement the efforts of in-form Clive Kawinga as the rest of the forwards like Washington Pakamisa, Patrick Khumbula and Farai Mupasiri have been unreliable.
Tomorrow’s tie has been as the David versus Goliath affair.
But Dynamos know very well that they could be making a fatal mistake if they underrate the magnitude of the task on their hands when they face newboys How Mine.
DeMbare are chasing a record third Mbada Diamonds Cup title but their coach Callisto Pasuwa has been a worried man following his team’s slump in form of late.
Things have not been going on well for the Harare giants on the field of play in the last two weeks in which they needed a late goal to scrap past newboys Tripple B in the first round of the Mbada Diamonds Cup before their monumental fall in Hwange in a league match that followed a few days later.
Pasuwa made his frustrations known this week when he lashed out at his players demanding that they lift their game in the wake of their mediocre performance in a 0-0 draw with Monomotapa at Rufaro last Sunday.
But they have not lost hope.
To make sure that his players are not distracted from the job at hand, Pasuwa yesterday imposed a media ban on his stars.
DeMbare welcomed back key players Oscar Machapa, who was the star of the show in a rather dull first round assignment, and goalkeeper George Chigova from injury as they intensified their preparations.
Despite their shortcomings, team manager Chihoro yesterday said they are aware they were the team to beat after winning the last two editions of this lucrative tournament.
Dynamos have personalised the Mbada Diamonds Cup as no other team has won it since its inception in 2011. Besides the increased prize money for the winners, the stakes are even higher for them as the trophy will be theirs for keeps if they win it again this year.
Chihoro said it was important that the players stay focused hence the decision to bar the players from talking to the media after yesterday’s training.
“We need to concentrate on the game. The coach feels that these guys are putting themselves under so much pressure when they make comments to the media just before the game.
“We have seen it happening in the last few weeks that the same players who had been quoted in the media just before the game are the ones who fail to perform on the pitch. So they are not talking to the media just for now,” said Chihoro.
How Mine were promoted this year and are looking to scale heights in their first Mbada Diamonds tournament.
They have the right material and they beat Black Rhinos 1-0 which propelled them to the last eight.
Despite being new to top-flight football, the gold miners have a wealth of experience in the form of players such as Gilbert Banda, Khumbulani Banda, Hebert Dick, Menard Mupera, Nyasha Mukumbi and goalkeeper Ephraim Mazarura.
They also have their own version of Simba Sithole, who is equally dangerous in front of goal, and their coach Philani Ncube will also be expecting more from another striker Timothy January.
His solitary goal against a strong Black Rhinos sealed a place in the quarter-finals.
DeMbare will not have quickly forgotten that this is the same side that beat them 1-0 the last time they met in a league match at Luveve, with Sithole on target. But there is a lot of encouragement for the Glamour Boys in that they have been doing well at Rufaro and from the fact that they had trounced the Bulawayo side 3-0 in the reverse leg at the same venue.
“We respect How Mine but taking into consideration where we are now at this stage of the competition, we don’t see ourselves having to make mistakes. I am sure with the way we have been training this week and the spirit shown by these guys, we should expect something positive,” said Chihoro.
“It’s good that we are playing at home and you know how a man has to defend his territory when a threat comes in. It won’t be easy but we are prepared to throw everything at them.”
How Mine coach Ncube said he also has a clean bill of health, just like the hosts.
“At this stage of the tournament we expect the games to be tougher than the first round. Playing the defending champions is not always easy especially for a team like ours which is still young in the Premiership.
“We respect Dynamos for who they are and what they have achieved in this tournament but we are coming to Harare to compete. Although we are carrying the underdogs tag, anything can happen in cup games,” said Ncube.
How Mine are coming from a shock home defeat at the hands of relegation fighters Black Rhinos.
The Bulawayo side was left stunned following a 3-0 defeat at Luveve and Ncube feels they can put that disappointment behind them.
“What happened last week is now behind us. This is a different ball game altogether. That was league and now this is a Cup competition, which is self-motivating.
“The morale is high and what I can only say to the players is the ball is in your court, push yourselves because if they are to win they are doing it for themselves,” said Ncube.
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