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Murape Murape

Tedious Manyepo : Sports Reporter

HARARE giants Dynamos still believe they can work their magic and win the championship despite being 11 points behind log leaders FC Platinum with only nine games before the curtain comes down on the marathon. Coach Lloyd Mutasa’s charges are in fifth place on the log standings with 32 points from 21 matches and will have to move mountains if they are to reclaim the title which they won for four successive seasons between 2011 and 2014.They were then under the tutelage of Warriors coach Callisto Pasuwa.

The Glamour Boys now need to evoke the same spirit which saw them dominate the local football landscape by winning virtually everything on offer during that period when they also provided three Soccer Stars of the Year, on three consecutive occasions, with Washington Arubi (2011), Denver Mukamba (2012) and Tawanda Muparati (2013) flying the club’s flag.

Yet, in the middle of all those seasons, DeMbare never looked like a team that would win the title at the end of the race but somehow they always find a way to work out a formula to win the crown.

And it is the same spirit which assistant coach Murape Murape has demanded from his charges as he believes Dynamos have the pedigree to push for the crown they lost to Chicken Inn.

“At Dynamos, we always play to win the championship and to throw the towel at this moment when there are still 27 points to play for only because we are trailing the log leaders by 11 points would be an act of cowardice on our part.

“We are a team which can do the unexpected, those things which people would view as Mission Impossible.

“I would say we are trailing and it is going to be difficult to win the league title but it is definitely possible.

“From 2011 to 2014, we were always in the same situation like we are in right now. But, somehow as Dynamos, we would always find our way to the top and the rest, as they say, is history,” said Murape.

But, the destiny of the title is not in Dynamos’ hands as they need to rely on results from other matches if they are to cut the gap between them and the pacesetters.

Crucially, though, the 1998 CAF Champions league runners-up are still to play table-toppers FC Platinum and second-placed CAPS United in the reverse encounters having lost to the two rivals in the first legs early in the season.

The 2007 Soccer Star of the Year said he was happy that his technical department had managed to deal with the players who were under-performing.

Tatenda Mukuruva, Denver Mukamba, Rodreck Mutuma, Dominic Mukandi and captain Stephen Alimenda are some of the senior players who were dropped by Mutasa amid allegations that there was a cartel sabotaging the coaches to push them out of the club.

“I am happy that there is now unity at the club. All the guys who had a negative attitude in the past have reformed and they share the same vision with the technical department.

“They know that we need to turn our fortunes around and try and launch a belated push to win the title,” he said.

Dynamos face Chapungu at Rufaro on Sunday.

“We need to beat Chapungu on Sunday to keep up with the leading pack. We need to win the title though I should admit that it is now difficult.

“But, we have to push till the end so we should start by beating our opponents on Sunday to throw a lifeline to our campaign,” said Murape.

Fixtures

Saturday

Bulawayo City v Mutare City (Babourfields)

ZPC Kariba v FC Platinum (Nyamhunga)

How Mine v Tsholotsho (Luveve)

Harare City v Ngezi Platinum (Rufaro)

Sunday

Triangle United v CAPS united (Gibbo)

Dynamos v Chapungu (Rufaro)

Border Strikers v Highlanders (Dulivhadzimu)

Wednesday September 7

Chicken Inn v Hwange (Luveve)