The Sunday Mail

Ishemunyoro Chingwere
Dynamos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0
Highlanders . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 2
ANOTHER match, another record broken.
Dynamos continued their miserable start to the Premier Soccer League season when they not only fell to their fourth defeat, but also saw Highlanders end the Glamour Boys’ decade-long dominance of local football’s biggest football fixture.
In a season in which they registered their first home defeat to FC Platinum since the miners entered the top flight, a season in which they have lost a league match to Caps United for the first time since 2009, DeMbare’s mounted yesterday as fell to Highlanders for the first time since 2006.
It was the fifth time Dynamos failed to find the back of the net in eight matches as glory continues to evade the side that calls itself the Glamour Boys.
For the opposition, Dynamos once again became the gift that keeps on giving.
Eighteen-year-old Young Warriors striker Prince Dube and Bruce Kangwa scored for Bosso, the team’s 14th and 15th goals of the season, as they subdued a sinking giant that has only found the back of the net three times in eight games.
Coach Lloyd Mutasa’s decision to deploy two defensive linkmen, veteran Stephen Alimenda and Dominic Mukandi, meant DeMbare were on the back foot for large spells of the match against a mobile Bosso engine room that had the industrious Simon Munawa, Rahman Kutsanzira, King Nadolo and Kangwa calling the shots.
Dynamos might say luck was not on their side as thrice they were denied by the frame of the goal, but if they are to be honest with themselves, they lost to a more organised team which was evidently hungrier for victory.
With two defeats and a single win, interim coach Lloyd Mutasa’s prospects of landing the job on a permanent basis look bleak.
DeMbare’s problems point to players who offered very little in attack yesterday.
Mutasa denied that the Glamour Boys were in a decline, saying their only headache was failure to convert chances into goals.
“We have played less than 10 games and maybe you can talk of a decline as we progress,” Mutasa said after the match. “For now I think we still have plenty of matches for us to make up for lost ground. I wouldn’t want to believe that there is much difference between the playing personnel we have and what other teams have but I think it’s just a matter of getting goals and making things happen.”
With Highlanders coach Erol Akbay telling the media that an early goal would go a long way in calming nerves, the visitors were off the blocks as early as the first whistle and within five minutes had agonisingly watched as Dube, Knox Mutizwa and Kangwa were denied by Tatenda Mukuruva.
At the other hand, DeMbare’s forwards Farai Mupasiri and Richard Kawondera were lifeless and barely threatened Ariel Sibanda’s goal despite numerous raids into the Highlanders box by Ocean Mushure, Obey Mwerahari and Godknows Murwira.
Bosso’s persistent knocks on Mukuruva’s door yielded results three minutes before the hour mark when Mutizwa set up Dube after a fine counter-attack. Dube rising shot deflated Dynamos and sent Highlanders fans into delirium.
DeMbare rallied themselves in search of an equaliser and introduced Evans Gwekwerere for Mukandi, but the one time darling of the Dynamos faithful – clearly lacking match fitness – failed to breach the heart of an opposition defence well-marshalled by Eric Mudzingwa and skipper Felix Chindungwe.
With memories of last season’s late Quadr Amini winner still fresh in Bosso minds, insurance remained high on the visitors’ agenda and it duly arrived in the 76th minute.
Dube this time turned provider, sending in a delightful cross that was nodded home by Kangwa to secure a victory that means more than three points for Bosso and will certainly see them fancy their chances of landing the league title, which they last won in 2006.
Akbay said: “I am happy; the feeling is the same I have every time I win a match. For most people it is 10 years when we last won but for me it was just one of the games like many other normal games.”

Teams
Dynamos: T Mukuruva, O Mwerahari, S Linyama, E Muroiwa, O Mushure, S Alimenda, D Mukandi (E Gwekwerere, 59’), G Murwira, C Rusere (B Amidu, 46’), R Kawondera (K Bulaji, 53’), F Mupasiri
Highlanders: A Sibanda, B Phiri, E Mudzingwa, F Chindungwe, H Moyo, S Munawa, K Nadolo (B Banda, 79’), R Kutsanzira (T Ngulube, 54’), B Kangwa (A Silla, 84’), K Mutizwa, P Dube

Tshilamoya!

Langton Nyakwenda
LOVEMORE MAJAIVANA’S classic song “Tshilamoya”, a praise tune that the legendary musician penned in salute of Highlanders, belted from the PA system long after referee Nomore Musundire had blown the final whistle.
Most Dynamos fans had already dispersed from the stadium, in fact some had begun trooping out soon after Bruce Kangwa headed in Highlanders’ second goal in the 76th minute.
Remembrance Drive, the road that passes through Rufaro Stadium, from the famous Mupedzanhamo Market to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Services radio stations, was a sea of black and white.
Some Bosso fans swarmed around their iconic administrator Ndumiso Gumede as he boastfully strolled out of the ceremonial home of football.
“More is coming, you have seen nothing yet,” the burly administrator bragged.
The jinx had finally been broken and it was party time for the Highlanders fans who packed Rufaro’s City End.
It was a victory made sweeter by the identity of the main actor.
Prince Dube, a product of the Highlanders Academy who has rocked the Premiership in the past three weeks, was only eight years old when Bosso last beat DeMbare in a league match.
That was back in 2006, on July 30 when Bosso beat DeMbare 2-0 at Barbourfields to complete back-to-back victories over their traditional rivals on their way to their last Premier Soccer League title.
The 18-year-old Dube silenced the Vietnam Stand with a stunning strike 57 minutes into the game, right in front of the Mbare End supporters.
He then set up Kangwa with an inch perfect cross 14 minutes from the final whistle.
“Something inside urged me on as I raced onto that through pass from Knox (Mutizwa), but when the ball rattled the nets, I felt like I was dreaming.
“It happened in a flash, it feels great to score in a big battle like this one. The jinx has finally been broken…I cannot believe this,” said the Young Warriors striker as the media swarmed around him for a juicy sound bite.
Mutizwa had predicted the move during the halftime pep talk.
“I said to him (Dube), one through pass would be enough for him to make a name,” said Mutizwa who might have played his last Battle of Zimbabwe as he is expected to join Bidvest Wits of South Africa in July.
Not even the return of the revered Murape Murape could inspire Dynamos. The Vietnam fans sang the popular “Monya ane Cremora” just before kick-off and Richard “Nyoka” Chihoro gestured the three-goal sign towards the Bosso fans but that was all in vain.
In the end, Dynamos players were once again forsaken by their supporters, club president Kenny Mubaiwa has seemingly gone into hiding and club secretary Webster Chikengezha is contemplating quitting amid reports that he fears the DeMbare brand is now tarnishing his corporate image.
Dynamos are breaking all the records this season, albeit for the wrong reasons.
Caps United beat them for the first time in a league match since 2009, FC Platinum won at Rufaro in the league for the first time since their promotion into the top flight in 2011 and yesterday, Bosso broke the 10-year jinx.
The supernatural fans think a bad omen has been cast on their team. “Team yakasungwa iyi,” some said as they trooped out of the stadium.
DeMbare hit the woodwork thrice through Farai Mupasiri in the first half, substitute Brett Amidu early in the second half and another substitute Kelvin Bulaji later on.
When Mutizwa stylishly slipped the ball between Ocean Mushure’s legs in the 86th minute, the writing was on the wall, Bosso were marching towards a historical victory.
It was a tantalizing game, better than the Harare Derby played at the same venue early this month and befitting of its Battle of Zimbabwe tag.
The crowd, which included Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa, was treated to some end to end action for 90 plus minutes.
There was no crowd trouble this time around as the police maintained a heavy presence in and outside the stadium.