Zimpapers Logo

Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter

DYNAMOS coach Tonderai Ndiraya has appealed to the club’s fans to walk with his team every step of the way as he looks to draw inspiration from his predecessor, Callisto Pasuwa, who won four straight league titles with the club a few years back.

The Glamour Boys, who face tricky hosts Bulawayo Chiefs in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Barbourfields this afternoon, are battling to put their act together following a bumpy start to the 2021-2022 season.

Ndiraya has assembled a new squad over a period of three years after dismantling the ineffective project he inherited from Lloyd “Mablanyo” Chigowe in 2019.

Chigowe blamed the poor financial standing of the club at the time as he was only asked to assemble a squad on almost zero budget following the exodus of senior players due to welfare issues.

But since then, DeMbare have enjoyed lucrative sponsorship with the coming in of Gold Leaf Tobacco and now Sakunda Holdings, leaving little or no room for excuses.

Ndiraya has made the most of the windfall from Sakunda Holdings and recently invaded the market, bringing in eight new players that included 2019 Soccer Star of the Year first runner-up Ralph Kawondera, exciting winger Issa Sadiki, ex-CAPS United fullback Brendan Mpofu, utility man Keith Murera and veteran forward Evans Katema.

DeMbare imported players from West Africa, all of them strikers, after landing Nigerian forward Alex Orotomal and the Ghanaian duo of Martin Ofori and Emmanuel Zengayire Paga, in the hope of bolstering their attack.

But they have not started the season the way they had planned after missing their preliminary target for the season. 

The Glamour Boys have won two, drawn one and lost two in the opening five matches, and they fell five points off the mark following last weekend’s 0-1 home defeat to Chicken Inn.

Ndiraya, however, believes the DeMbare project is on course since it was still early days. He assured the club’s supporters that his team will be fighting for the championship this year.

“I just want to appeal to our fans to be patient with the team. We have brought in quite a number of new faces to bolster the squad and it’s important to give them time and support.

“I am sure they have learnt from the games that they have not done so well. It is still work in progress and I am sure we will be hitting the right chords in the next few games.  

“The good thing is we are still in touch and we will continue to be in touch (with the leading teams). It’s still early days and there is so much time ahead of us.

“So I just want them to keep supporting the boys and, when they support them, they will then be confident and fight for the result that we are looking for. So they mustn’t lose heart. This is only the beginning. There is still a long way to go in this league and there are going to be ups and downs,” said Ndiraya.

He said patience enabled DeMbare to win four league titles in their last dominant run between 2011 and 2014. Ndiraya was part of the project and won two titles as Pasuwa’s assistant before the two fell out towards the end of the 2013 season.

“Remember the other time when Callisto Pasuwa was in charge in 2013. I was part of the system back then and the team drew the first seven games. So in the first seven games we had seven points but in the end the team won the championship.

“So it’s a long road which must be navigated. It’s important to start well but I believe that what is even more important at the end of the day is how you finish the race,” said Ndiraya.

DeMbare need a strong response after dropping five points in the two games played since the return from the protracted festive holidays/AFCON break.

They put up a decent show in the goalless draw against FC Platinum two weeks ago but the defeat to Joey Antipas’ Gamecocks in front of their supporters last weekend has left them with more homework to do.

“We have had a very difficult week because we were coming from a very disappointing defeat at home against Chicken Inn. That defeat was so devastating considering the way we had played against FC Platinum,” said Ndiraya.

“I thought the team had played well to deserve something from the match (against Chicken Inn), but that wasn’t to be. So it was really heartbreaking.

“But as the week progressed, psychologically the team was looking stronger and it is our hope that by the time we play the game, everyone would be fully focused on the game against Bulawayo Chiefs.”

DeMbare had a big boost during the week after Ghanaian forward Ofori finally got his licence to play. They were also hoping that Nigerian Orotomol would get his papers in order before the end of the day yesterday.  

But they should not expect an easy outing against a Chiefs side that has shown great ambition in the last two years.

Statistics between Dynamos and Bulawayo Chiefs are evenly balanced. The teams have met four times since the latter’s arrival in top-flight football in 2018.

Each team has won once and two of the encounters ended in stalemate, including their last meeting in 2019 which ended 1-1 in Harare. DeMbare, however, may not have forgotten that they lost 0-2 the last time they travelled to Bulawayo to face the Ninjas.

The side, which is bankrolled by gold miner, Lovemore Sibanda, has been on a spending spree of late to strengthen their arsenal. They look a much changed side with new and experienced players such as Obriel Chirinda, Obadiah Tarumbwa, Perfect Chikwende, Kevin Madzongwe, Moyo twins Kelvin and Elvis; and Dela Akorli from Ghana.

With Portuguese coach, Nilton Terroso, at the helm, the Ninjas look a daring side. They proved that when they beat champions FC Platinum 2-0 at the same venue three weeks ago.

Castle Lager Premiership Fixtures

Today: Herentals v Bulawayo City (NSS); Yadah v Manica Diamonds (Baobab); FC Platinum v Harare City (Mandava); Bulawayo Chiefs v Dynamos (Barbourfields)

Tomorrow: CAPS United v Whawha (NSS); Cranborne Bullets v Black Rhinos (Baobab); Tenax v Highlanders (Sakubva); Triangle v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Gibbo); Chicken Inn v ZPC Kariba (Luveve)