The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter
THE two rivals finished tied on 44 points in 2019 when the last Castle Lager Premier Soccer League marathon was run, and no winner has emerged in their last two duels.
Three of the last four league games between Dynamos and Black Rhinos have ended in stalemate.
They meet again at Baobab Stadium today in a Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final match — their second clash in the tournament’s history.
Lest the DeMbare fans forget, it is Rhinos who knocked out the Harare giants in the first round of the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2014.
However, both clubs have a poor record in this competition.
Dynamos’ best performance came in 2015 when they were beaten 2-1 by Harare City in the final.
Tonderai Ndiraya was in his first spell as Dynamos coach then, and that game still lingers in his mind, as he braces for what could turn out to be a bruising battle against a highly physical Rhinos outfit this afternoon.
Ndiraya’s men are under pressure to clear the quarter-final hurdle and possibly go all the way to lift the cup.
“I was the coach when we played the final against Harare City in 2015. We had done well to reach the final, but unfortunately we lost that match.
“So, that match still lingers in my mind, it still lingers in a lot of our stakeholders’ minds and it is our wish that we can lift this Chibuku Super Cup for the first time,” he told The Sunday Mail Sport.
A traditional DeMbare bogey side, Rhinos, who were runners-up to Cranborne Bullets in Group Three, stand in the way of their third appearance in the semi-final of the tournament.
The Glamour Boys were semi-finalists in 2018 and lost 1-2 to eventual winners Triangle.
“It’s not going to be easy; the journey is not going to be smooth. The games are becoming more and more difficult, so we have to clear this second hurdle on Sunday (today) after qualifying from the group comfortably.
“We now face Black Rhinos whom we should beat to move to the next round. It’s not an easy match but that we are ready for,” he said.
Dynamos are unbeaten so far in the competition and they have conceded only twice through own goals.
But Ndiraya is also aware the form book is usually thrown out of the window when it comes to tournament football.
“This is a quarter-final match and this is a knockout stage, so it calls for a different mentality from the group games, a different attitude towards the game because it’s not about points anymore – it’s about qualifying to the next round of the tournament . . .
“So that makes the whole match a little bit different and that puts some pressure on the players.
“But, we have been preparing; we are prepared to face Black Rhinos. Of course, there is a lot of history between the two teams, but this is going to be a new game altogether.
“We are meeting for the first time after this Covid-19 pandemic . . . We are prepared to deal with anything that Black Rhinos is going to throw at us.”
Rhinos have also threatened to throw everything at Dynamos, including the kitchen sink, as they bid for a second Chibuku Super Cup semi-final appearance.
The last time “Chauya Chipembere” clinched a semi-final berth was in 2014 when they were knocked out by eventual winners FC Platinum.
Rhinos coach Herbert Maruwa, a former Dynamos developmental coach who was part of Kalisto Pasuwa’s backroom staff when DeMbare won four straight league titles between 2011 and 2014, is talking tough.
“It’s a dog-eat-dog affair. Much is at stake. We need to stand up and be counted, and I know my boys are up to the task,” said Maruwa.
The youthful gaffer has lost once in four league meetings against Dynamos since taking over from Stanford “Stix” Mtizwa in January 2018.
He reckons DeMbare’s form in this competition is scary but insists Rhinos will protect their own history.
“It’s going to be a tough match for both teams because at the end of the day, one team must progress and what it means is we are going to fight to the end and make sure we get something out of the game,” he said.
“We are playing a team which is on a roll, they have a good team, a good coach and they want to continue with their good form.
“But as Rhinos we are one of the oldest clubs in the league and we have our own history. We are not easy to beat. We will make life difficult for Dynamos and for us to be champions, we have to beat the best.”
Maruwa has a number of former Dynamos players is his squad, which makes this contest a little more intriguing.
Versatile player Tawanda Chisi, Edgar Mhungu, Tawanda Macheke, Kudzanai Dhemere and Walter Sande are all former DeMbare players.
Maruwa also spent close to six years in the Dynamos technical structures.
“That makes it interesting, but the reality is that these players are now at Rhinos and they need to focus on their game and do the job for Rhinos.
“They just need to make sure they help Rhinos to progress. I have been telling them not to try too much to impress. They just need to play their normal game.”
The Dynamos campaign has been anchored on a solid rearguard that includes goalkeeper Taimon Mvula, skipper Partson Jaure, the underrated Frank Makarati, Godknows Murwira and Emmanuel Jalai.
Midfielder Shadreck Nyahwa and the unheralded Trevor Mavhunga are some of the key players at DeMbare, who also have an ace up their sleeve in the form of teenage winger Bill Antonio.
