Online Reporter
Curtworth Masango-Zimpapers Sports Hub
At Dynamos, the name Mutasa is etched in library pages.
For Wisdom Mutasa, a current forward for the Harare giants, that name is both a source of pride and weight of expectation.
His father, Lloyd Mutasa, is a celebrated Dynamos hero, whose most revered days for a generation of fans were those spent wearing the iconic blue shirt, despite him also having a memorable stint with Tanganda.
That legacy has cast a shadow, laden with expectation, particularly for Wisdom who broke into top-flight football at his father’s former club.
The pressure is compounded by Lloyd’s later role as a Dynamos coach, where he is widely attributed with assembling the squad that Kalisto Pasuwa led to four consecutive Premier Soccer League titles from 2011 to 2014.
This illustrious history alone creates a formidable backdrop for his sons’ own careers on the pitch.
For Wisdom, the challenge recently took a dramatic turn.
When Dynamos were on the brink last season, he returned from a stint in Botswana to rejoin Dembare.
At the time, few fancied the team’s chances of survival. Yet, Mutasa gambled on the club, embarking on a critical run of form.
He started the majority of games in a 16-match unbeaten streak across all competitions under then-coach Kelvin Kaindu, helping to secure the team’s top-flight status and secure a historic third consecutive Chibuku Super Cup title.
However, stability was short-lived. Coach Kaindu parted ways with Dynamos to join the new flamboyant side, Hardrock.
This departure left Mutasa in a precarious position, fighting for his place anew under incoming manager Genesis Mangombe.
Reports suggested that Mutasa was among the players deemed unwanted by the new gaffer. Yet, the forward has remained unfazed.
He has lived by a mantra of fighting for his place and now hopes to secure a spot in the final 30-man squad for the upcoming campaign.
“I could hear the talk in the streets that the coach is not considering me in his plans, but honestly, he never said such to me. He actually gave me the same platform as anyone to prove my capabilities and willingness to adjust to his philosophy from day one,” said Mutasa.
“Given that opportunity, I have been working such that he finds value in my abilities and contributions. So as of now, just like everyone within the radar of the club, I am working to secure a place in the final 30 men squad.
Mutasa’s remains focused.
“It all goes back to application in front of pressure, being at Dynamos alone comes with its own forms of pressure, but all it needs is to work hard.”
“The comparison with my father always pops up, but I am a man myself. I am penning my own story, and I am determined to make it.”
Wisdom’s brother, Panashe, is also writing his own script at TelOne.
