Back in De-business

17 Jul, 2016 - 00:07 0 Views
Back in De-business

The Sunday Mail

PUBLICLY, Lloyd Mutasa unconvincingly claims that the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title is beyond DeMbare’s reach and yet privately, he tells his men that anything other than the top spot is not good enough.

After a disastrous start under a prankster imported from Portugal, Dynamos have found their footing and are lurking ominously near the apex as the league passes through the halfway mark.

Now if there is anything that this big but turbulent institution has taught our football during its 53 years of existence, it is the fact that Dynamos are Houdini Act masters.

In a season during which they had a poor start with Paulo Jorge Silva at the helm, a season during which nine of their fans perished after an accident on their way to Ascot Stadium, one gets the feeling that DeMbare have something amazing up their sleeve.

They are unbeaten since June 11 – the day the accident occurred – and look set to get even stronger with the additions of Denver Mukamba and Wisdom Mutasa.

It’s a six match unbeaten run, five wins and a draw.

Their conversion ratio does not make pleasant reading but DeMbare haven’t been shipping many either, conceding just once in their last six matches.

Chapungu breached them once in the 2-1 win at Ascot while Ngezi Platinum, Harare City, Bulawayo City, Border Strikers and How Mine have found Tatenda Mukuruva and his defence impenetrable.

The impressive run has the DeMbare fans believing this year will see their team adding another season to their blockbuster smash and grab series.

“This team knows how to win titles, it knows how to rise from the dead and everyone knows it too,” said Alvin Zhakata, a DeMbare addict.

But Mutasa is sounding cautious, in what is probably a ploy to take the pressure off his youthful team’s shoulders.

“We had a poor start and cannot possibly dream of the title, there are teams ahead of us and we cannot expect all of them to lose while we win.

“We just have to be realistic and take it each game at a time,” said the DeMbare gaffer.

That’s the public script.

In private, Mutasa and his assistant Murape Murape are constantly giving the Dynamos Class of 2016 legendary tales of how this club has a history of pulling it from the fire.

Murape, a crowd favourite who still performs that rather obscene coffee creamer dance, does much of the talking before sealing it all with the now cliché “Ndikunyepa here father? (Am I lying father?)”

In catholic circles, the priest is the father; at DeMbare, Mutasa is the father.

“We had a poor start but the most important thing is to finish well, each game we play from now on is a cup final.

“Let’s play in a way that will make our late fans smile wherever they are,” Mutasa recently told his men after another King Mura “we are Dynamos and we don’t lose” sermon.

The DeMbare technical team has not shied away from giving rookies a chance.

King Nasama, Kudzai Nyakasaka and Brett Amidu are making their cases for starting XI jerseys and the old hands are under pressure to deliver.

Rodreck Mutuma no longer has a diplomatic passport, he has had to work for his place while getting rid of the prima donna antics. He has been accused of being a very temperamental person with an inflated view of his own talent and importance.

Masimba Mambare is back in the groove, doing his moves; Stephen Alimenda appreciates he cannot afford to slip as Dominic “Zato” Mukandi is waiting on the wings; Sydney Linyama can no longer afford to bunk training in favour of roaming the streets of Mbare with Soul Jah Love and other dancehall stars.

Tatenda Mukuruva has started writing his farewell speech although the DeMbare fans don’t know it yet while Mukamba – never mind his off field antics with cousin Clive Kawinga – is itching to hear the Vietnam stand sing his name again.

Behold, DeMbare are back in business!

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