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Augustine Mbara

Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
DYNAMOS captain Augustine Mbara says the Glamour Boys are gelling well under the tutelage of new coach Paulo Jorge Silva and is confident the Portuguese mentor will take them to the Promised Land this season.

Mbara told The Herald that DeMbare have fixed their eyes on their major target to win the championship and a number of trophies after they were dethroned by Chicken Inn last year.

The Harare giants are starting afresh after parting ways with their previous coach Tonderai Ndiraya and replacing him with Silva, while Lloyd Mutasa returned as assistant coach in the new set up. Mbara said he is happy with the progress they have made to date after featuring in a number of friendly matches in the last three weeks.

Dynamos, who are due to tour Malawi and Tanzania next week to intensify their preparations, played a double header against Division One sides on Sunday when they drew 0-0 with ZRP and then thrashed Whawha 4-0 at Rufaro.

Mbara believes they are in the right direction.

“Our target this year is to win everything on offer. So we will be going out all out and hoping for the best.

“I think we are beginning to understand each other better now as players. We are getting to appreciate one another’s strengths and weaknesses, which makes us a better team.

“If you saw the way we passed the ball around at the weekend, it demonstrated on its own that we are improving and by the time the season starts we should have reached our peak,” said Mbara. DeMbare have seen some changes in the way they conduct their business following the arrival of Silva and his new assistant Mutasa.

Their style of play has a marked change from last season and this year they promise to entertain their supporters.

But the coach has had to deal with resistance and has been clashing with many people in his dressing room who are yet to appreciate his philosophy and his European style of management.

Silva has said that he wants to introduce professionalism and has started by cracking down on indiscipline in the camp.

The Portuguese coach is particular even on the smallest matters and he has been punishing offenders of late while others have been fined in his efforts to bring everyone in line.

However, Mbara said the players are slowly adapting to the coach’s philosophy.

“Right now we are working well with the technical team. As you know every coach and his technical always come with new things which could be different from what you are used to. So I believe we are adapting well.

“Slowly we are getting to know what they want and what they don’t like,” said Mbara. The DeMbare skipper was also happy with that the coach has been helping their rookie players to build confidence by giving them game time during the off-season.

Silva has given almost everyone in his books a chance to play including their Under-20 players Musa Madhiri, Peace Makaha and Kudzanayi Nyakasaka.

DeMbare have made a number of new signings like Dominic Mukandi, Tichaona Chipunza, Valentine Ndaba and goalkeeper Ashley Reyners and they are slowly getting into the club’s new culture.

“It’s good that the coach is throwing the youngsters into the fray. I believe it’s a plus for the team. What is even more encouraging is that these youngsters have not disappointed.

“They are performing well and even us as senior players we are happy for them. We just hope they don’t get big headed.

DeMbare will next Thursday leave for Malawi where they expect to play two international friendlies and then travel to Tanzania afterwards for more pre-season games. The club’s secretary general Webster Chikengezha said preparations for the tours are in progress.

“We leave on March 3 for Malawi and then play games on the 5th and 6th.

“Since the flights from Malawi to Tanzania are erratic, we will have to come back home after the games in Lilongwe and then take a flight to Dar-es-Salam from Harare,” said Chikengezha.