admin
Lawrence Moyo H-Metro Editor
LLOYD Mutasa produced the result of the mid-week matches but the modest coach doesn’t believe his FC Platinum have thrust themselves into the picture to win their first Castle Lager Premiership crown this season. Instead, Mutasa believes that for all the pounding that champions Dynamos have received in recent weeks, the Glamour Boys will pick themselves up and fight again, in what will be a two-horse battle against Highlanders, for the big prize.
DeMbare have picked only one point from their last three league matches, and on Wednesday suffered their first loss against FC Platinum when Mutasa led the miners to a sweet 2-0 victory at Mandava to maintain his unbeaten record against the country’s most successful football team.
But Mutasa, who built the foundation that eventually enabled Callisto Pasuwa to complete a successful championship campaign at Dynamos in 2011, feels his old team will be there in the picture when the battle reaches its climax, with Bosso providing the other big challenge.
Mutasa said FC Platinum, who are in fourth place, tied on 42 points with second-placed Dynamos and third-placed Harare City, and just two points behind leaders Highlanders with six more matches to go, were not in the running for league championship honours.
The coach feels Harare City will be the dark horse and believes FC Platinum will be content with a Top Four finish.
Until Wednesday, FC Platinum had NOT beaten Dynamos since joining the Premiership in 2011. Interestingly, Mutasa was in charge of Dynamos for the sides’ first ever meeting and DeMbare won the re-arranged Week Two match 2-0 at Rufaro. FC Platinum’s drought ended with that victory at Mandava on Wednesday as Mutasa took his unbeaten run against DeMbare (as a coach) to five matches — Four wins and One draw.
He started his coaching career as player/coach at Sporting Lions in 2002 as the side, owned by singer Thomas Mapfumo, made history by becoming the side to survive in the Premiership having been bottom of the log at the halfway stage of the season.
Having been ineligible for the first half of the season, Mutasa joined during the mid-season transfer window as the club’s leadership fired Nelson Matongorere, who had been coach for the first half of the campaign. Mutasa and Joe Mugabe were made interim coaches before Kode left towards the end of the season for the UK where he has been based ever since.
Sporting Lions met Dynamos in the reverse fixture at Rufaro on Week 27 and won 3-2 in a tension-filled match in which Mutasa himself scored a first half equaliser to cancel out an Eddie Mashiri opener.
The new management at Sporting Lions then decided to appoint Dutchman Clemens Westerhoff and Brenna Msiska in 2003 and Mutasa left and settled at Division One side, Flame Lily. In 2009 Mutasa took over from Joey Antipas at Shooting Stars and led them into the final of the BancABC Cup, beating Dynamos 1-0 in the semi-finals.
Shooting Stars, however, lost the final to Lengthens. Mutasa soon fell out with club director Joe Sengeredo over player selection in the build-up to the Dynamos game and an interim technical department suffered a 3-1 defeat.
In 2010 Mutasa moved to Kiglon and was in charge of the two league games against Dynamos. The first match ended goalless in Week 11 while Kiglon won the reverse fixture, on Week 27, 1-0 with Washington Pakamisa scoring the winner in the 70th minute.
Mutasa then waited until Wednesday for his next date against Dynamos and he secured a fourth successive clean sheet against DeMbare.
But despite the success, Mutasa is refusing to be carried away into installing FC Platinum as title contenders. He believes they have a tough run-in which includes three away matches against Triangle (weekend), Chicken Inn (Week 27) and How Mine (29).
There will be three home matches against Shabanie Mine (Week 26), Black Mambas (Week 28) and Buffaloes (Week 30).
Since taking over at FC Platinum, the Zvishavane miners have played nine Premiership games, winning five against Motor Action (1-0), Hwange (1-0), Monomotapa (2-0), Tripple B (3-1) and Dynamos (2-0).
They drew with CAPS United (2-2) and lost against Black Rhinos (0-2), Harare City (0-2) and Highlanders (1-2).
Mutasa missed the games against Motor Action and Harare City while in Zambia on national team duty as assistant to former Warriors coach Klaus-Dieter Pagels.
FC Platinum lost in the final of the BancABC to Shabanie Mine and Mutasa’s first assignment in the tournament in the opening round against Highlanders. Mutasa believes their destiny, in their battle for the championship, was not in their hands and they were just fighting for a respectable position.
“At this stage of the season the matches are no longer straight forward and we will not fool ourselves and consider ourselves as part of the title race,” said Mutasa.
“The destiny of the title is not in our hands because it is very difficult to have all three teams above us faltering. I think the main contenders are Highlanders and Dynamos, with Harare City being a dark horse.
“For all three teams to perform worse than us, in just six matches, is almost impossible and that is why we will not fool ourselves into believing that we can win the title.
“For now we just want to ensure that we secure a respectable finish while building a foundation for next year. Our next match away to Triangle is not easy at all. They have been playing good football and only on Tuesday they beat Monoz 4-0, yet the same Monoz had held Dynamos to a draw.
“After that we have Shabanie Mine and they have done very well.
“Derbies are also very difficult and Shabanie have the confidence after beating us in the BancABC Cup final.
“Chicken Inn and How Mine away will also be very difficult and that’s almost all the matches that remain for us and to then think that we stand a chance in the title race is being too ambitious.”
Looking at his journey so far, Mutasa says he has been able to destroy the camps that have been at FC Platinum as players seemed to alienate themselves on the basis of where they came from.
“I remember when I was at Dynamos and we beat FC Platinum 2-0 at Rufaro, they had a very strong team but the problem was that the players were playing for themselves.
“The big stars never played as a team.
“There was also the problem of divisions where players from Bulawayo kept to themselves while those from Harare did the same.
“I am glad to say that we are getting rid of that and the team spirit is now there.
“The players, no matter how good they are as individuals, are playing as a team and for the team. We are a united team now and I believe we now have a solid foundation for the club for next season.”
As things stand, Mutasa will be heading to the club’s Academy at the end of this season having been in a caretaker role at the first team following Zambian Tenant Chilumba’s unexpected departure this year.
Online Reporter