DeMbare rebound

Eddie Chikamhi : Sports Reporter

Dynamos ………………..…….. (1) 2

Tsholotsho ……………….……….. 0

THE dark days of discord are back at Dynamos after the club’s executive was forced to reverse their decision to fire assistant coach Murape Murape, who returned to work barely 24 hours after being shown the exit door. In the end it was the former captain who appeared to have the last laugh with the supporters warming up to him as Dynamos rebounded from their Chibuku Super Cup disappointment with a deserved win over Tsholotsho in a Castle Lager Premiership match at Rufaro yesterday.

On a day that the majority of the Dynamos fans probably boycotted the game because of the poor performances by their team and the unpopular decision by the executive to sack Murape, mid-season signings Takunda Sadiki and Tawanda Macheke gave the uncharacteristically small crowd something to cheer about when they scored their first goals for DeMbare.

Sadiki opened his account 17 minutes into the game with a well-taken shot from the edge of the box.

Debutant Macheke then sealed the game with a late goal when he latched on to a shot by Masimba Mambare and beat goalkeeper Nickel Marichi from close range.

However, the Glamour Boys, who always attract big crowds to their games, yesterday played in an almost empty stadium which one would mistake the match for a clash between their less popular Premiership rivals.

The supporters probably decided to stay home, unhappy with the line their team is walking both on and off the pitch. The poor attendance was ominous.

Generally, the Dynamos supporters feel they have been taken for a ride for long and the clubs’ leadership could be sitting on a time bomb.

With the rousing welcome and the big send-off that was given to Murape, it was easy to read the mood in the terraces. The supporters made their statement, which was probably a vote of no confidence in the leadership.

Murape was cheered and praise songs were sung for him just before the kick-off while club president Kenny Mubaiwa, conspicuous by his absence from the VVIP Tribune, was denounced.

The DeMbare assistant coach responded by waving to the supporters to show appreciation and dancing to the songs.

And then after the match, the diminutive former midfielder, a popular figure at the Glamour Boys, was called by the supporters to the Vietnam Bay where they told him their feelings about what is going on.

Mubaiwa announced on Tuesday that Murape had been sacked for an interview he had granted to a local daily newspaper while the team’s coach Lloyd Mutasa was left on the verge as they looked for a replacement.

However, the decision to fire Murape was turned down by an equally unpopular board of directors led by Bernard Marriot-Lusengo.

Murape yesterday looked unperturbed and occasionally stood up to help his coach Mutasa, who conducted his duties with the axe hovering over his head.

“I think as a professional coach, even if you are going to be sacked tomorrow you have to do your job to the best of your ability and the rest is for God,” said Mutasa.

“It wasn’t easy, but we created chances and we scored two goals. It has been a while since we last scored two goals and I am happy for the players.

“Football is a pressure game, but we told the youngsters that destiny is in our hands. We are the very same people who can lift ourselves up from where we are and I’m glad they responded well.”

Dynamos leapfrogged ZPC Kariba into fourth place and are now on 38 points, 10 behind log leaders FC Platinum, whom they meet in their next game at Mandava on Saturday.

Sadiki gave DeMbare the lead when he perfectly curled the ball after a clever set-up by Denver Mukamba on the edge of the box.

Tsholotsho however, refused to throw in the towel early and were always a threat as Zimisileni Moyo and Ocient Ncube pulled the strings from the midfield.

Dynamos defender Elisha Muroiwa, who is back after spending four months on the sidelines because of injury, almost spoiled his return when he nearly scored into his own goal with a desperate clearance from Ncube’s free-kick in the 53rd minute.

Muroiwa filled the void left by suspended centre back Marshal Machazane while Valentine Ndaba was also given a starting place.

DeMbare also survived another scare in the 56th minute when Nixon Gama’s goal was overruled for offside as Tsholotsho continued to press for an equaliser with neat build-ups.

Mutasa had to make a bold decision to throw his son — Wisdom — into the fray midway through the second half amid mixed reactions from the supporters. The younger Mutasa was poor in their previous assignment which Dynamos lost 4-5 on penalties to How Mine in the Chibuku Super Cup first round.

But Macheke put the game beyond doubt with a late goal, which, however, was met with protests by members of the Tsholotsho bench who felt the young forward had strayed offside before he struck the killer blow.

Tsholotsho remained second from the bottom on the log standings with 19 points from 23 games.

Their coach Lizwe Sweswe, however, feels they still have a chance to survive relegation.

“Yeah that’s the game of football. Sometimes you play better than your opponents, but you don’t win. We are going back to the drawing board and try to see what will happen in the next game . . . I am confident of surviving,” said Sweswe.

Teams:

Dynamos: T. Mukuruva, G. Murwira, O. Mushure, E. Muroiwa, O. Mwerahari, T. Chipunza, B. Amidu (W. Mutasa, 64th minute), V. Ndaba (S. Gorogodyo, 57th minute), T. Sadiki (T. Macheke), D. Mukamba, M. Mambare

Tsholotsho: N. Marichi, T. Nyabinde, N. Moyo, S. Dube, G. Magariro, Z. Moyo, O. Ncube, R. Mufudza, B. Madanhire (D. Chirwa, 54th minute), M. Maponyera (C. Dhuwa, 66th minute), N. Gama (A. Ncube, 72nd minute)

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