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Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor
LAST time, Rodreck Mutuma had stood tall, with his devastating double blow flooring Monomotapa, wrecking Biggie Zuze’s moment in the sunshine and powering Dynamos to a League and Cup double as they captured the Mbada Diamonds Cup.
A reputation, as a man for the big occasion, which had first been scripted when he scored the only goal in the inaugural Mbada Diamonds Cup final the previous year, appeared to be confirmed with his double strike that November afternoon, two years ago.

He also started well, in his comeback spell for Dynamos in the knockout tournaments, by stroking home the priceless goal that eliminated bitter rivals CAPS United in the first round of the NetOne OneWallet Cup at the National Sports Stadium in July this year.

And, when the Glamour Boys went in search of an equaliser in the final of the NetOne OneWallet Cup at the giant stadium on Sunday, Mutuma was, inevitably, the man who provided it, leaping on the back post to direct his header home.

It’s hard to find the ammunition to criticise Mutuma — two goals in three matches, including a big one against the eternal enemy, represents a good return for any striker at any level of top-flight knockout football in the world.

But, given the clear-cut chances that he got at the giant stadium on Sunday, to win the tournament for his team, and fluffed with some wayward finishing, it’s difficult to suggest that those who have found fault lines in his game, if not temperament, need to go and see a psychologist.

In the post-mortem that followed the disaster that saw the Glamour Boys being embarrassed, in their backyard, by Triangle and losing the NetOne OneWallet Cup final, it’s inevitable that Mutuma will be a central figure — for the few good things that they did on Sunday and the numerous things that they got wrong in the big game.

For once, in this tournament, the DeMbare defence leaked a goal, but one goal conceded, in 270 minutes of action, doesn’t represent a meltdown.

With regular ‘keeper, Artwell Mukandi, who turned 25 on Monday, unavailable for the big match, because of injury, the DeMbare defence can argue that a big part of their formidable rearguard was missing, and that probably explains the fact that they conceded a goal.

“I thank you Lord. It has been a great journey and so shall it continue to be. You have given (me) the courage and strength to face life as it is, since my birth up until today,” Mukandi wrote on his Facebook page.

“With this career, I thank you Lord, it has sustained my family and I, therefore, shall forever be grateful to you Lord.”

But his youthful replacement, Tatenda Mukuruva, to his credit, had a steady performance between the posts.

Ronald “Rooney” Chitiyo, the hero of their league win over Shabanie the previous week with a contender for the Goal of the Season, had a quiet afternoon, by his high standards, and failed to provide the spark, down the right channel, that the inspirational Tafadzwa Rusike provided on the opposite flank.

Chitiyo was part of that Monoz team, destroyed by Mutuma’s double strike, on a day he was also subdued, on the big stage, he was substituted by Zuze, and while his old teammate, Nelson Merson, tasted glory this time around in the colours of Triangle, Rooney was left to take home another losers’ medal.
Stephen Alimenda, back from injury, was subdued and Tawanda Muparati, maybe still feeling the effects of his long-term injury, was unproductive, appeared a shade too slow and could not commit himself into the tough midfield battles.

But, crucially, for all their midfield handicaps, the Glamour Boys produced a number of good chances that, if taken, should have ended this game well before it went to the lottery of the penalty shootout where Triangle, having triumphed twice in this format in two games in this competition, appeared to hold the edge.

Mutuma missed a sitter, nine minutes after heading Dynamos level, after a good build-up, with the forward losing his sense of direction, when given a clear chance in front of goal just five minutes after the break, and somehow directing his header wide.

It was as good a chance as they will ever come and, at this level of the game, it’s on such fine margins that trophies can be won and lost.

But if this was a very bad miss, for a striker of his calibre, Mutuma went on to produce a shocker, five minutes from the end of regulation time, when the ball fell kindly for him in a melee and, although he looked suspiciously offside on first glance, the far side assistant referee kept his flag down and gave him the freedom of the city to inflict the killer blow.

But Mutuma, again, lost his bearings and his effort was off target in a carbon copy of how he had directed a rebound wide, just seven days earlier, in the opening stages of his team’s league match against Shabanie.

There was another chance for Mutuma, to end this contest, in time added on but, for the umpteenth time, he fluffed his lines and Triangle, full of spirit all afternoon, lived on to fight on, and chew as much time as they could with their gamesmanship, which at times reduced such a showcase event into something closer to a boozers’ contest, in extra-time.

Mutuma will probably argue that his replacement, Anesu Gondo, did little to justify his presence in the final 30 minutes of this contest and, without him, DeMbare looked very lightweight in attack.

But, he also knows, all that could have been avoided if he had taken his gilt-edged chances — not one, not two, not three, but a number of them.
Instead, two years after being floored by Mutuma’s double strike, it was Zuze who was now basking in his moment in the sunshine.