Saul electrocutes Pasuwa TEARS OF SORROW . . . Dynamos striker Roderick Mutuma (centre) weeps as ZPC Kariba’s midfielder Peter Muzondo (left) and a DeMbare supporter console him after the final whistle of Saturday’s Castle Lager Premiership soccer match at the National Sports Stadium where the Glamour Boys lost 2-1 and literally surrendered the league title to the Kariba-based side. — Picture by William Mafunga
TEARS OF SORROW . . . Dynamos striker Roderick Mutuma (centre) weeps as ZPC Kariba’s midfielder Peter Muzondo (left) and a DeMbare supporter console him after the final whistle of Saturday’s Castle Lager Premiership soccer match at the National Sports Stadium where the Glamour Boys lost 2-1 and literally surrendered the league title to the Kariba-based side. — Picture by William Mafunga

TEARS OF SORROW . . . Dynamos striker Roderick Mutuma (centre) weeps as ZPC Kariba’s midfielder Peter Muzondo (left) and a DeMbare supporter console him after the final whistle of Saturday’s Castle Lager Premiership soccer match at the National Sports Stadium where the Glamour Boys lost 2-1 and literally surrendered the league title to the Kariba-based side. — Picture by William Mafunga

Augustine Hwata Sports Reporter
ZPC Kariba’s shrewd tactician Saul Chaminuka became the only gaffer to collect six points within one season from league clashes against Dynamos coach Callisto Pasuwa following their sensational 2-1 victory over the Harare giants in a Castle Lager Premiership soccer tie at the National Sports Stadium on Saturday.

Since Pasuwa took over at Dynamos in August 2011, no team or coach has managed to win back-to-back league fixtures against Dynamos in one season until ZPC Kariba broke new ground at the weekend.

Chapungu’s John Nyikadzino had come close this season after taking four points from DeMbare.

On Saturday, Anesu Gondo thrust the Harare giants into the lead early in the first half, but second half goals from Tsepo Ranthokoane and Limited Chikafa saw ZPC Kariba winning the game and with it the top spot with one match remaining.

Early this year, ZPC Kariba’s Artwell Nyamiwa struck in injury time to edge Dynamos at the giant stadium and Katuruturu showed that their win then was not a fluke when they struck again with venom on Saturday.

“Beating Dynamos back-to-back shows that we are a team that has character. In Zimbabwe, we rarely see a team completing a double over Dynamos, but we have done it,” said Chaminuka.

The veteran coach said he was a little anxious when Dynamos took the lead in the first half, but he managed to convince his players not to lose focus.

“When Dynamos led, I felt that they had scored a good goal because of our poor defending, but I could see us coming back into the game. I know my boys, they are fighters and we normally do not go a goal behind early in the match and then give up easily.

“We have won matches in the past where we have to come back from behind,” said Chaminuka.

Pasuwa is currently the de facto national team coach while Chaminuka is his assistant in the national Under-23 side’s set-up and he (Chaminuka) remained magnanimous even in his moment of triumph as he refused to take all the glory.

“Credit goes to the players and my technical team, especially one guy who has helped me to control the team — Godfrey Tamirepi. Coaches fail to control teams because there is a lot of back-biting and coaches are losing their jobs because coaches are fighting among themselves. But at ZPC Kariba, I have a guy who is very supportive and if anyone goes to him and talks bad about me, he will tell me.

“He is a wonderful guy and I credit all this success to him and the team,” Chaminuka said.

This coming weekend, matches are likely to be suspended as focus shifts to the Chibuku Super Cup final between FC Platinum and Harare City at Mandava on Sunday. But ZPC Kariba now have the destiny of the league in their hands when they meet CAPS United in their last game of the season, knowing that a victory will deliver them the league title in their maiden season.

Chaminuka said he was not going to relax as they prepare for CAPS United, simply because they had managed to beat the reigning league champions.

“If we win against CAPS United then no team will catch us and during the week we are going to train for that in Kariba,” said Chaminuka.

A contender for the coach of the year accolade, Chaminuka knows that the tide has turned for his team in the championship and they are now under pressure, going into the last match.

During the penultimate match, it was Dynamos who had more pressure than ZPC Kariba who were the underdogs.

“There will be a lot of pressure now that we are playing CAPS United who are my former employers. I have worked with a number of players in the team and obviously they would want to prove a point.

“It’s not going to be an easy game and the players know what is needed. We have been talking on what is needed to be done against Dynamos and we have to look ahead.

“If we are going to talk about the championship, we still need to win against CAPS United.

“Dynamos have lost against us, but they can still go on and win the league championship,” said Chaminuka.

CAPS United, who had a slim chance of winning the league title before the weekend’s matches, are now out of the race after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Harare City yesterday while Dynamos still have a chance to chalk up a fourth title if they beat How Mine and hope that ZPC Kariba lose to the Green Machine.

Last season, CAPS United did Dynamos a great favour when they beat Harare City who needed just a draw to win the title. Pasuwa was naturally disappointed when his 100th Premiership match as coach at Dynamos ended in a defeat, but he remained defiant that the fight is still on.

“After taking the lead, we failed to convert chances that came our way while ZPC took theirs.

“We are, however, still in the race and we will fight to the end, but maybe a draw could have given us a better chance going into the last match,” said Pasuwa.

Following their defeat, Dynamos striker Roderick Mutuma, who had missed more than two scoring chances during the game, wept and had to be consoled by ZPC Kariba’s Peter Muzondo and Dynamos security officer Cephas Musepa.

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