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OPEN FIRE . . . Dynamos striker Kudzanayi Nyakasaka (right) drills his side’s opening goal past Mutare City Rovers goal-minder Phillip Nhete during their Castle Lager Premiership soccer match at Sakubva yesterday. — (Picture by Tinai Nyadzayo)

Ray Bande in MUTARE
Mutare City Rovers . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1
Dynamos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 2

DYNAMOS finally remembered how to win when they laboured to this narrow victory over Castle Lager Premiership soccer debutants at Sakubva yesterday to bring smiles on the faces of the legions of their supporters who had seen them win-less in the opening two matches of the new season.

And buoyed by his maiden three points of the season, under-fire Dynamos coach Paulo Jorge Silva says he is unfazed with the three-match ultimatum given to him by the club’s leadership and is now aiming at upsetting old enemies CAPS United in their next league match.

DeMbare finally remembered how it feels to win a match when they laboured long and hard all afternoon to snatch this slender victory, thanks to goals by former Sodbury School pupil Kudzanayi Nyakasaka and Roderick Mutuma.

However, it was Silva who celebrated the most, probably much more than the DeMbare fans in the terraces at Sakubva yesterday, as the Portuguese coach could be seen darting far and wide as he shook hands and hugged his players and the club’s supporters soon after the final whistle.

Silva, who has refused to speak to the print media lately, was given an ultimatum to collect nine points from the next three matches or face the chop, along with his assistants.

This means should Dynamos draw or lose their next match against CAPS United in Harare next weekend or in the match against Hwange away at the Colliery, the Silva-led technical department’s marriage with the Glamour Boys could effectively come to an end.

And when he finally settled for a post-match interview yesterday, Silva said he is not worried about the three-match ultimatum and he was actually hearing it for the first time.

“I am not aware of that (the three match ultimatum). I am hearing it from you. I am working hard for the team to win. I am giving 100 percent effort and I expect everyone else in the club to give 100 percent effort.

“We were playing well, but could not score and I am happy the goals are coming. I have problems in the front — the strike-force. I have 26 players and I hope I will be able to get more players to make them 30 and on those additions I hope I will be able to get strikers. This is the same thing I talked about to the president and the club leadership.

“I do not have any pressure. This is a good club. We play to win. I am looking forward to winning the match against CAPS United. That is all I am looking forward to. I love football. It is my life,” said Silva.

Prior to yesterday’s encounter, the 1998 CAF Champions League finalists were in the depths of despair with only one point from two matches, while they were also yet to find the back of the net this season.

Such was the hopelessness in the DeMbare camp that apart from losing both their Independence Trophy matches, Dynamos were also eliminated early from the Zimbabwe National Army Charities Shield and were so toothless to the extent of failing to get a goal in more than four hours of open play.

Although DeMbare won yesterday’s encounter, their performance was still far from convincing and if anything, it was the hosts who have improved in performance albeit failing to find the net.

Save for a few flashes of brilliance, the Harare giants were clearly a pale shadow of the feared outfit they have always known to be.

Five minutes into the match, Dynamos capitalised on a defensive mishap by the dilly-dallying Munyaradzi Sako, resulting in exciting Nyakasaka dispossessing the Mutare City Rovers defender before shoving the ball between goalkeeper Philip Nhete’s legs to propel DeMbare into the lead.

In the 13th minute, Dynamos could have extended their lead when King Nasama was hacked down a few yards outside the box but the resultant free-kick saw Godknows Murwira carelessly blasting his effort on the wall.

City Rovers had their moments and the hosts could have restored parity 17 minutes into the match when impressive Stephen “Dealer” Sibanda roasted Obey Mwerahari on the right, surged towards goal, but his hard-and-low shot from a tight angle was well saved by national team goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva.

Mwerahari was once again left for dead by Sibanda almost in a similar fashion in the 30th minute but the former Highway and FC Platinum forward’s cross went across the face of goal as it found no takers from Mutare City Rovers to tap the ball home.

The visitors could have doubled the lead when second half substitute Mutuma literally passed the ball to Mutare City goalkeeper with a feeble header off a cross from the exciting Valentine Ndaba.

Nonetheless, the self proclaimed “Prince” of the Glamour Boys made amends and got it right in the 81st minute when he cleverly connected a cross from close range to put the game to bed for his side.

Mutare City Rovers then found a facesaver well into added time after a goalmouth melee and Kudakwashe Gurure, in his only meaningful contribution in the match, fired home from a rebound.

Taku Shariwa, the Mutare City Rovers coach said his team need to overcome the psychological challenge of perceiving themselves as inferior.

“I think we played well and we managed to create more scoring opportunities than Dynamos. We only need to overcome this psychological challenge of perceiving ourselves as inferior.

“We are psychologically demotivated. Going into the future it is all about working hard. We just need to work harder and harder in order to start collecting points and ensure that we survive relegation,” said the former Hartley Academy gaffer.

Teams

Mutare City Rovers: P. Nhete; C. Muzawazi; A. Nyakabawo; M. Sako; E. Sinaputa; C. Chandongonda; D. Duri (C. Masocha 61st minute); W. Sithole (T. Chibwana 47th minute); S. Msimbu; S. Sibanda; E. Meleka (K. Gurure 47th minute).

Dynamos: T. Mukuruva; E. Muroiwa; O. Mushure; S. Linyama; O. Mwerahari; S. Alimenda; B. Amidu; V. Ndaba; G. Murwira (K. Bulaji 76th minute); K. Nasama (R. Mutuma 46th minute); K. Nyakasaka (D. Mukandi 59th minute).