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Murape Murape

Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
VETERAN midfielder Murape Murape has challenged Dynamos and CAPS United players to illuminate the National Sports Stadium on Sunday and restore the Derby glory that used to be associated with meetings between the two bitter rivals. In a period in which local football has been witnessing a decline in spectator numbers, Murape said it was now up to the Dynamos and CAPS United players to prove that there is still something worth the fans’ hard-earned cash by dishing out a memorable Derby.

Murape yesterday also travelled down memory lane and said he had been in discussion with younger players telling them of “how such players like Moses Chunga, Joel Shambo, Alois Bunjira, Stewart Murisa, Tauya Murewa, Vitalis Takawira and Joe Mugabe made their names on Derby Day’’.
“I think it is high time we gave the fans an exciting match. We need good refereeing from the match officials too.

“It is war on the pitch but it is a football war so we need Fair Play.
“Derbies mean a lot to Zimbabwean football and we have to show that we still have good players around,’’ Murape said.
The pencil-slim Dynamos captain, who is racing against time to shake off a knee injury for the showdown, also extended his challenge to administrators, fans and even the media to play their role in ensuring that Derby glory is restored on Sunday.

“We all need to motivate one another as players and likewise the administrators and the supporters.
“Of course, playing against Dynamos or playing against CAPS United is motivation enough for the players but we have seen examples of the hype and the motivation that characterises the Soweto Derby in South Africa where even the media play a big part and I think we need more of that here too.

“Apart from the games being self-motivating, administrators can do their part and find more incentives that will also add to the motivation of the players and supporters should also come in their numbers and make it colourful,’’ Murape said.

The Dynamos captain, however, reckoned that both sides have young players who are itching to make their mark on the big stage and said his team needed to once again prove why they have been dominating Makepekepe.

“On our part we don’t have to put ourselves under any pressure and going into the game we should not look much into history even though it is also necessary to know where you are coming from.

“We have to look ahead and keep the same mentality of trying to win every game that we play,’’ Murape said.
Should he take to the field, Murape will be the most experienced player on the pitch and as he looked forward to the encounter, he also stoked the flames by declaring that Dynamos do not believe that they have beaten CAPS United enough since 2009.

“We actually feel that we have not been beating them enough and it is always a pleasure to inflict pain on our number one enemy.
“We can play them 18 times a year but we would want to still beat them and this is the mentality that we will take with us into Sunday’s match.
“They have had a good record at the National Sports Stadium this year, but we can play them anywhere, we have beaten them at Rufaro, we have beaten them at Barbourfields and even at the National Sports Stadium so I think we are ready to inflict more pain on them’’.

Murape, however, said Dynamos had set their sights on extending their championship record by winning a fourth straight title.
“While we are playing CAPS United , we should not forget as Dynamos that our ultimate goal is to win a fourth league title and we have had a problem at times when we tend to relax a bit against other teams yet every team comes geared up for Dynamos.

“We are the flag bearers of football in Zimbabwe and we have to show that not just in Sunday’s derby, but in every game that we play, we just have to work very hard and listen to what our coaches want us to do and even though people speak of how much we have dominated CAPS for now we have to leave that to the statisticians, historians and the media.

“When we go into the match the only valid statistic is that it will start at 0-0 and no-one has the advantage.
“But I have seen a lot of enthusiasm in the players we have and derbies by their nature are unpredictable and I hope there will be more heroes than villains.

“We have some young players who have not played in a derby before and we have to use our experience to create a platform for them to shine.
“It should be a blockbuster and I remember very well that the late Watson Muhoni was unknown until he shut out Morgan Nkathazo, Alois Bunjira and Stewart Murisa in a Derby at Rufaro.

“I would not want to name any of the youngsters that we have who can become heroes because I would not want to put pressure on anyone, but I think we have the players who can carry us through on Sunday and in any case it will be about the team first and individuals later,’’ Murape said.
With Derbymania gripping the capital, there is an air of expectation that this time around the showdown will live up to its billing.