The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter
STATISTICS do not lie!
They can’t be ignored, especially when Dynamos are playing the new giants of the Premiership, FC Platinum.
Statistically, the two sides are worlds apart ahead of their 10th league meeting in Harare this afternoon.
While FC Platinum have picked 21 points in the last seven rounds, Dynamos have managed a paltry six going into today’s fixture at the National Sports Stadium.
Yet seven rounds ago, Dynamos were on top of the log with 29 points, seven ahead of FC Platinum, who were languishing outside the top six.
It’s now Match Day 20 of the 2021/2022 Premiership programme and DeMbare now trail Pure Platinum Play by eight points.
It’s all because Tonderai Ndiraya’s men have just one win in their last seven assignments.
The six they have managed out of a possible 21 translate to a 29 percent success rate.
DeMbare have scored four goals in the period under review at a rate of 0.57 per game.
In fact, they have not found the back of the net in their last three games.
On the contrary, champions FC Platinum roll into the capital boasting the longest winning streak of the season so far.
The three-time champions have won their last seven matches, scoring 16 goals without reply in the process.
In a league in which you have 14 out of the 18 teams failing to stich a three-game winning streak after 20 rounds, you have to give it to coach Norman Mapeza and his youth brigade.
DeMbare’s longest winning streak of five games was achieved between March 5 and April 3 when the Glamour Boys were still on a roll.
Since then, they have been on a free-fall, managing just three wins in 10 outings.
A number of factors have been attributed for this slump.
Ndiraya’s strikers have badly let him down.
Some questionable boardroom decisions along the way, including suspension of the coach for unclear reasons in May, are considered some of the reasons DeMbare are chocking.
A section of the fans feel the coach has not done justice in terms of his team selection.
They wonder why a team that has an array of talent, including 2019 Soccer Star of the Year finalists Ralph Kawondera and King Nadolo, as well as one of the best dribblers in the league, Issa Sadiki, is not firing.
It still remains a mystery to some how players like Albert Eonde, Alex Orotomal, Martin Ofori and an ageing Evans Katema ended up at DeMbare.
However, Dynamos being Dynamos, they have a knack of finding a way to defy the odds and might resurrect at the expense of FC Platinum this afternoon.
But, the side have failed to beat the miners in a league match in Harare since 2015.
Dynamos lost by identical 0-1 scorelines in 2016 and 2017, 0-2 in 2018 before holding FC Platinum to a goalless draw in 2019.
However, Mapeza, who has broken down the last 14 games of the season into kilometres, is not reading much into DeMbare’s current form.
“This is a race and we are now in the second half of that race. We are running our own race and already we have covered three kilometres of this 17-km journey of the second half.
“We are moving in the right direction, so what is important now is to concentrate on this next one kilometre, which is the game against Dynamos.
“So it’s a kilometre-by-kilometre journey and what’s important is to remain focused and make sure we can finish this next kilometre with a positive result,” Mapeza told The Sunday Mail Sport.
“We don’t want to look much into their current form.
“If we are going to do that, I think we are putting ourselves in a trap. What is important is to go out there on Sunday with the same mentality, the same attitude and the same desire to win our football games.”
The Warriors coach said what is now important is to remain focused, united and take each game as it comes.
FC Platinum visit Harare without influential defender Gift Bello, who lost his brother on Friday.
Veteran goalkeeper Petros Mhari, William Stima and Hagiazo Magaya are also out due to injuries.
“My condolences to the Bello family. Our prayers are with Gift at this moment,” said Mapeza.
Ndiraya, on his part, wants his charges to invoke the traditional fighting spirit that DeMbare have been renowned for over the years.
“We must show ourselves as a big brand.
“Obviously, they have been doing very well and the huge challenge that we have is to stop their winning streak.
“That’s what we have been working on the whole week.
“Hopefully, we can come good and stop them on Sunday. I know it’s not going to be easy; it’s a huge challenge,” Ndiraya said.
Fixtures:
Bulawayo Chiefs v Chicken Inn (Luveve), Dynamos v FC Platinum (National Sports Stadium), Black Rhinos v Yadah (Vengere)
