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David Mandigora

Munyaradzi Musiiwa in GWERU
Whawha …………(1) 1
Dynamos…….……….0NEWBOYS Whawha bounced back from a six-goal humiliation in their last game to hand champions Dynamos a shock defeat in this Castle Lager Premiership tie at Ascot yesterday and pile the pressure on coach David “Yogi” Mandigora.

Lloyd Mutasa’s men, who looked clueless, and out of depth at this level, as they were hammered 0-6 by How Mine in Bulawayo last weekend, answered their critics in the best way possible when they beat the champions to record arguably the biggest shock result of the season.

Mutasa has a good record against his former employers and he maintained that yesterday with a result that sent shockwaves around the domestic Premiership as Whawha celebrated their finest hour since their formation.

The result was another damaging loss to Mandigora, who finds himself under severe pressure just eight games into the season, and if his men fall, or fail to win against FC Platinum in their next league match, there could be serious repercussions for the gaffer.

Mandigora’s men have now failed to win in three straight league games and, crucially, the misfiring Glamour Boys have also failed to score in those matches, picking just a point from a possible nine during that miserable run.

Last year, Dynamos also lost back-to-back league games, including one at Ascot against Chapungu, and another one at home against Buffaloes, but they were then just defeated twice, in their last 23 games, against Hwange (0-1) and against ZPC Kariba (1-2) as they won a fourth straight league crown under Callisto Pasuwa.

DeMbare also failed to score in three successive games in 2011 under Mutasa against Motor Action (0-2), Hwange (0-0) and Highlanders (0-0), but they then rebounded well, when Pasuwa took over, to win the championship.

Yesterday, Mutasa was ecstatic after his men turned on the style to defeat the champions.

“My boys did well today to beat the defending champions and this comes as a sweet victory, especially coming from a drubbing against How Mine,” Mutasa said.

“Playing against Dynamos is always difficult, but I am happy my boys responded well to today’s call.”

Mandigora said his men paid the price for missing a number of chances.

“It is the same old story, as we missed a number of chances and as the match wore on it was difficult to come back into the match,” said the DeMbare coach.

“It is always difficult to play here at Ascot and as a team which is not used to losing, we need to quickly find the right formula.”

But he will have to look at his ultra-defensive approach yesterday — starting with seven on-field players with a defensive persuasion and only three with an attacking mind in his first XI.

Roy Useni was the hero for the home side when his thunderbolt, two minutes before the breather, was enough to earn them only their second win of the season.

Useni’s brace two weeks ago earned Whawha their first win of the season after they shocked FC Platinum 2-1 at the same venue.

The Glamour Boys had beaten Whawha 3-0 during a pre-season friendly and many expected Dynamos to power to another win over “Chekera Pasi.”

The champions came close to opening the scoring in the seventh minute when left-back Ocean Mushure whipped in a cross, but Dominic Chungwa could not provide the connection.

Whawha had their first real chance in the 39th minute when veteran Malvern Nyakabangwe unleashed a scorcher from outside the box, but goalkeeper Artwell Mukandi was on guard to save the day for the league champions.

Four minutes later, Whawha got the breakthrough when Useni picked a loose ball inside the enemy zone following a blind pass by Stephen Alimenda and raced towards goal.

He then unleashed a shot from the edge of the penalty area which went into the top left corner and Dynamos, whose defensive skills had been praised at the start of the season, had conceded four goals in 89 minutes.

The second half started with the visitors attacking, in search for an equaliser, and the hosts repelled whatever was thrown at them and, as the match wore on, Mutasa’s men were content to just sit back and defend their territory.

Given the way Dynamos have struggled for goals, since scoring three in their first game of the season, the good money was always on the hosts surviving the onslaught and, at worst, they were going to come out of Ascot with a point.

On the occasions that they surged forward, Whawha were always dangerous and in the 76th minute the referee denied them what appeared to be a genuine penalty appeal when Nyakabangwe was fouled by Sydney Linyama.

Dynamos had the ball in the net when substitute Patrick Khumbula, who had come on for Chungwa, headed home past Phillip Nhete, but his effort was ruled for offside.

Teams:

Whawha: P. Nhete, B. Chidzero, G. Kwaramba, M Machazane, J. Kanono, L. Genti, R. Useni (Bude, 58nd min), C. Kapupurika, M. Nyakabangwe (A. Matewu, 82nd min) G. Saunyama, T. Jukulile (Nhamo, 86th min)

Dynamos: A. Mukandi, G. Murwira, A. Mbara, E. Muroyiwa, S. Linyama, S. Alimenda, M. Makopa (Rusere 60th min), R. Chitiyo, O. Mushure, D. Chungwa (Khumbula, 56th min), S. Nhivi (F. Mupasiri, 87th min).