The Sunday Mail
Ideally Mukanga should win the ball, beat the man, spot the teammate who is peeling away from the defender and play a delightful pass that leaves the opposition bumping into each other.
TOUGH LUCK is a term that gets used very often during a football match.
At Dynamos the lanky lad who wears jersey number eight is a recipient of it much more than any other player these days.
It’s Walter Mukanga’s second season at the champions, but the midfielder is still struggling to unleash his full repertoire.
Amid his struggles coach David “Yogi” Mandigora remains convinced that Mukanga, as laid back to the point of looking lazy as he is, holds the key to a perfect midfield balance.
The challenge for Mandigora, just like Kallisto Pasuwa before him, is to uncover the gem among the mud around Mukanga.
The first step towards that is ensuring that the midfielder gets game time, lots of it.
Mukanga has started all of DeMbare’s three league matches this season and despite being anonymous against Dongo Sawmill on Good Friday the smart money is on the midfielder again getting the nod against Caps United tomorrow.
Mandigora is prepared to play Mukanga until it all comes together.
Now it is during these doled out runs that Mukanga gets to be told “tough luck Walle”, “ibho, ibho Walle”, “don’t give up, zvinoita bho mwene” among a host of other encouraging statements.
Why is this?
The midfielder has a frustrating knack of doing one thing well and the next horribly.
And why is Mandigora biding his time with him when the DeMbare gaffer has several other options?
Well the midfielder, who is comfortable with either foot, has a touch that is rare – a soft touch.
Coupled with a quick mind and a very good eye Mukanga comes across as a genuine midfielder, a rare breed in these shores.
However, his challenge is in making it all come together in one swift and defining move.
Ideally Mukanga should win the ball, beat the man, spot the teammate who is peeling away from the defender and play a delightful pass that leaves the opposition bumping into each other.
Realistically he is getting one right and the next wrong.
The equation is not constant as at times a well weighted pass goes to the wrong destination.
At times the run is spotted but the pass underweight.
At times possession is won but quickly lost.
However, amid such inconsistency Mukanga still manages to show enough flashes to guarantee a starting XI slot on the next team card.
At the National Sports Stadium on match day one, when Dynamos beat Buffaloes 3-0, Mukanga had begun to get the boos when he showed what he can offer.
He scored a goal many a player in this league would have missed after for power instead of precision.
Simba Nhivi’s cross from the left channel needed a deft touch, anything else would have been disastrous.
Mukanga sweetly applied it to score DeMbare’s third.
He caressed the ball so softly there was debate as to whether he had really made contact.
The midfielder’s response to the goal had smug written all over it.
“Will you shut up and let me do my thing?” Mukanga appeared to be saying as he made the “you talk too much hand gesture” during his celebrations.
His body language might not be inspiring but the 25-year could turn out to be the midfield propeller Dynamos are seeking.
In Steven Alimenda the champions have a man who can huff and puff all day, all night.
In Ronald Chitiyo Dynamos have a midfielder who can take the game to the opposition and chip in with a couple of goals.
What Dynamos don’t have as yet is a man who can play the killer pass into channels that are only visible to a genius and angles above.
Walter Mukanga is the closest thing Dynamos have to that man.
And after getting on the score sheet against Buffaloes the midfielder is eyeing double digits.
“It’s only three games into the season but I think I have done well,” he reckons.
“I usually play well as a defensive midfielder but my wish this year is to improve when in attack. I want to score goals and it will be great if I can get 12 or so by the end of the season.”
Mandigora believes some hard graft and patience will get Mukanga waltzing to the delight of the Glamour Boys and their claimed over seven million supporters.
“Walter is working very hard for the team, doing his part,” said Mandigora after the 1-0 win over Dongo.
“Usually we work as a team and I wouldn’t want to comment much on one player but I think he is doing well.
“Obviously there is room for improvement and he has to work hard while we are being patient with him.”
