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Masimba Dinyero

Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
AFTER coming perilously close to claiming a maiden Castle Lager Premiership title, Harare City have found themselves having to turn their attention to a battle for survival following an indifferent start to the season.
But for the club’s newboy Arnold Chaka, there is light at the end of the tunnel and the elevation of Masimba Dinyero to head coach has also coincided with a rejuvenation of the Sunshine Boys and their gradual ascendency into the safety zone.

Dinyero, who had for years served as an assistant to Lloyd Mutasa at such clubs as Highway, Kiglon and FC Platinum, arrived at Harare City as an assistant to Bigboy Mawiwi before they replaced the reigning Coach of the Year at the start of this month.

Mawiwi ultimately paid the price for the Sunshine Boys’ poor start to the season when he was shown the door on July 30 with the club’s management appointing Dinyero on a caretaker basis.

One of the players that Dinyero immediately thrust into his team, as he sought to stem the Harare City decline is centre-back Chaka, who is back in the domestic Premiership after spending three seasons plying his trade with Mochudi Centre Chiefs in Botswana.

Chaka yesterday paid tribute to Dinyero for revitalising Harare City and reckoned that the former Dynamos and Black Mambas midfielder’s masterstroke had been his ability to motivate the Harare City players and instill a sense of confidence among them which had diminished to the lowest levels as they anchored the log standings.
The 32-year-old defender, who played for Gunners and won the 2009 Premiership crown with them, also added two more championships to his belt but this time with Madinda Ndlovu’s Chiefs in Botswana.

But this time around, Chaka has been tasked with ensuring that Harare City fortify their defence and fight for their top-flight survival.
At the time that Chaka arrived, Harare City were 14th with just 15 points from four wins and three draws and with four teams being relegated at the end of the season they appeared a sure bet for the chop going at the end of the prompting the club chiefs to act.

Harare City are, however, unbeaten since Dinyero’s arrival at the helm and they have moved from 14th to ninth and they now have 28 points as Chaka also helped to stabilise the defence.

Crucially, they are three points behind sixth-placed FC Platinum and Chaka, who has been partnering veteran David Kutyauripo, attributed the steadying of the Sunshine Boys ship to “the team spirit prevailing at the club at the moment’’.

“I don’t think it has been down to one individual or a few players, I think there is good spirit of teamwork and everyone is determined to save the team from relegation.
“Masimba started by working on the players’ confidence because when he took charge the confidence levels were very low since the results were also not coming our way but somehow he has managed to also motivate the guys and make them believe in their abilities again.

“Fortunately for us we have been posting good results and we are determined to avoid relegation at all costs,’’ Chaka said.
Chaka said a close analysis of the log standings showed that there is close competition in the Premiership and the tall defender acknowledged that Harare City were not yet completely out of the woods as they are also four points above the team that currently occupies the last relegation slot — Black Rhinos with nine games and 27 points still to play for.

“The level of competition in the league is very high and you really have to sweat for the points and it’s even harder for us because there is no team that wants to be among the bottom four since four teams will be going down.

“It would not be fair to the club’s supporters management and even the players to find the team relegated just a year after almost winning the championship,’’ Chaka said.

Chaka was also hopeful that the blend of youth of experience would help Harare City to survive with such upcoming players like Munyaradzi Diro, Nomore John and Munyaradzi Diro combining with more seasoned teammates such as Crispen Dickson, James jam, Martin Vengesai and former Warriors goalkeeper Maxwell Nyamupanedengu.

“We have experienced players like Kutyauripo who has also helped me to settle down at the club and the coach has also shown a lot of confidence in me. I am also trying to play my part using the experience that I got from three seasons in Botswana and at Gunners before.
“I think the stability at the club will also help us because when you look back at what caused Gunners to be relegated was just the financial problems,’’ Chaka said.

Dinyero who briefly worked as an assistant to Mawiwi, also appears to have endeared himself with the Sunshine Boys management and looks set to have his caretaker tenure extended until the end of the season as the club seeks to avoid the chop.