Zimpapers Logo

Grace Chingoma
Senior Sports Reporter
Dynamos ………………………(1)1

Cranborne Bullets…………….0

AFTER going for 180 minutes without winning, Dynamos regained their self-belief when they edged Cranborne Bullets in a Castle Lager Premiership football match at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.

The Glamour Boys lost to Triangle in the previous league match. They had also lost to FC Platinum in a Chibuku Super Cup semi-final match.

In the three league matches, Dynamos have managed two similar 1-0 victories after they picked up a win in their opening match against Yadah. They went on to lose 1-0 away in Triangle.

But yesterday, an early goal, just after two minutes of play, by forward Shadreck Nyahwa was all DeMbare needed to claim victory in this lukewarm encounter.

DeMbare coach Tonderai Ndiraya believes the Covid-19-induced break worked in their favour and relieved some pressure off the players.

“The players had suffered psychologically after two consecutive defeats, so last week’s break was a blessing in disguise for us in the sense that it gave us some bit of time to recover psychologically from those two consecutive defeats. If we had played last weekend, it was going to be difficult for us, I want to be honest,” said Ndiraya.

Ndiraya feels his troops were under pressure coming into this match.

“Dynamos is a big institution and requires players with a very strong mentality, especially when you get into the situation that we got ourselves into.

“You don’t go for three consecutive defeats at Dynamos, it really puts you under a lot of pressure, so those two consecutive defeats had put us under a lot of pressure, and, of course, one of it was in a Cup game. So, psychological the players were damaged and needed time to recover and fortunately, they got that last week,” said Ndiraya.

The Dynamos coach, together with his captain Partson Jaure, were away for the larger part of last week as he was attending the club’s strategic meeting in Victoria Falls. However, he returned to find a fired-up dressing room that was raring to go.

Ndiraya was particularly charmed by Juan Mutudza, Steven Appiah, and 17-year-old Steven Chatikobo in yesterday’s game.

Chatikobo was unlucky when he failed to tap in his efforts.

Cranborne Bullets also missed some chances and with a bit of luck, they could have forced an equaliser.

Their coach, Nesbert “Yabo’’ Saruchera, said he hopes when the league restarts after the Christmas holidays and AFCON break they will start picking up points.

“I think we should have done better but we need to do more in terms of finishing and we just hope when the league restarts we will start picking up points.”

Teams
Dynamos: T. Mvula, S. Apphiah, E. Jalai, J. Mutudza, A. Eonde (N. Sianchalli 82nd minute), J. Maliselo, A. Mawadza, G. Murwira, B. Antonio (T. Muringai 90th minute), S. Chatikobo, S. Nyahwa.
Cranborne Bullets: T. Makoni, K. Chidonza, M. Mushangwe, D. Mbewe, L. Zvasiya, C. Gonyora, W. Kapinda, L. Namakhoma, M. Mudzuka, T. Meke.