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Tedious Manyepo : Sports Reporter

BORDER STRIKERS coach Never Malunga has acknowledged that his team raised their own bar by beating Harare soccer giants Dynamos 2-1 at Dulivhadzimu last Sunday as they now feel much pressured to show the same character in the remainder of the Castle Lager Premiership season as they bid to survive the chop.The Premiership log anchors took full advantage of the former champions’ current lapse in form to record only their third victory of the season in a campaign they have garnered a measly 10 points in 18 matches.

On Sunday against Dynamos, Clever Matendure and William Nyoni scored for the Beitbridge-based team while Masimba Mambare provided a consolation for the former champions before a packed Dulivhadzimu.

Naturally beating a fancied club like DeMbare would be a confidence booster especially when a team is involved in a desperate fight to stay afloat in the top-flight, but for Malunga it is actually the other way round.

The youthful gaffer, who took the baton from Saul Chaminuka some two months ago, believes his team is now under pressure to show the world that they are worth their salt.

“I am not taking our victory over Dynamos as a confidence-booster.

“By merely recording a big win like that we have put ourselves under pressure as we now feel like obliged to show that the victory was no fluke.

“We have to play our souls out to maintain the standards which we have set. And that is dangerous as it puts us under pressure, but we love the pressure though,” he said.

“Vavheneki” take on Harare City on Saturday at Rufaro in a game Malunga has since described as a must-win.

Border Strikers won the reverse fixture 1-0 at Dulivhadzimu and Malunga is confident his team will pick the maximum points to boost their survival chances.

“We are under a lot of pressure to deliver the goods, especially coming from the win against Dynamos.

“The game against Harare City is critical and we have to win it at all costs to widen our survival hopes.

“We beat them the last time at home, but this is a new game at a different and difficult venue, but we hope to pick it up from where we left,” he said.

The basement team lost over seven of their core players among them defender Peter Muzondo, Tendai Mukambi and Adrian Banana during the Premiership’s mid-season break due to financial difficulties the club is mired in.

They have reacted by bringing in striker Mutendure from ZRP Beitbridge, Shingirai Nhopi from FC Platinum and Farai Mususunye who was playing amateur football in South Africa.

“We have been playing the wrong formation using the wrong players.

“I think we have now struck the right chords and will be hoping to play in the top-flight next season.

“We have the hunger to play now than before and if we continue on that trend I think we will definitely survive the chop,” said Malunga.