Sports / Soccer
Dembare in title chase, says Mutasa
10 Apr 2018 at 07:13hrs | Views
DESPITE falling 13 points off the pace after five matches of the campaign, Dynamos coach Lloyd Mutasa remains confident his side is firmly in the hunt for the league championship.
The Glamour Boys, as they have so often done had a sluggish start to the campaign. They are yet to win a match having managed just two draws and losing three. That spate of dreadful results has left them stuck in second place from the bottom of the league table.
Some critics have brushed off DeMbare's chances of recovering and launch a strong challenge on the title.
However, Mutasa sees light at the end of the tunnel.
He argues, he has seen a lot of positives especially after the goalless draw against ZPC Kariba and that people should not be fooled by the league table standings at this stage.
"You shouldn't be fooled by the league table at this stage. If people write us off at this stage they will be doing so at their own peril. I still believe our target is still within reach especially after assessing the performance of the team in our last match against ZPC Kariba. The main positive drawn from this game is that it's our first time to manage a clean sheet,"Mutasa said.
The Dynamos gaffer said his senior players who form the backbone of the team have been let down by lack of match fitness.
Several Dynamos senior players refused to take part in pre-season preparations as they embarked on industrial action demanding payment of their outstanding salaries and allowances. The technical team had to field unheralded youngsters in their pre-season matches including the ZNA Charity Shield which they won.
For sure, skipper Ocean Mushure who has always been a huge influence in this team has failed to reproduce the same form thus far. His deputy Obey Mwerahari has also been a pale shadow of himself as he has been battling fitness.
Mutasa, however, said Mushure played one of his best games in Kariba.
"Most of our senior players have been lacking match fitness but I was impressed during the match against ZPC Kariba. Obey finished the entire 90 minutes and played very well. Ocean played one of his best games. I was really happy with the overall performance of the team. I still believe we have a solid team and are slowly getting there. We are happy with the point we gained. We are now looking forward to our next match with great hunger," he said.
Last term Mutasa's side struggled at the start of the campaign as he had to make do with untried players following the departure of several stars but he turned around things to eventually finish as runners up to eventual champions FC Platinum.
The Dynamos gaffer has, however, said he wants his charges to better that performance this term, suggesting they are eyeing the league title.
The Glamour Boys, as they have so often done had a sluggish start to the campaign. They are yet to win a match having managed just two draws and losing three. That spate of dreadful results has left them stuck in second place from the bottom of the league table.
Some critics have brushed off DeMbare's chances of recovering and launch a strong challenge on the title.
However, Mutasa sees light at the end of the tunnel.
He argues, he has seen a lot of positives especially after the goalless draw against ZPC Kariba and that people should not be fooled by the league table standings at this stage.
"You shouldn't be fooled by the league table at this stage. If people write us off at this stage they will be doing so at their own peril. I still believe our target is still within reach especially after assessing the performance of the team in our last match against ZPC Kariba. The main positive drawn from this game is that it's our first time to manage a clean sheet,"Mutasa said.
Several Dynamos senior players refused to take part in pre-season preparations as they embarked on industrial action demanding payment of their outstanding salaries and allowances. The technical team had to field unheralded youngsters in their pre-season matches including the ZNA Charity Shield which they won.
For sure, skipper Ocean Mushure who has always been a huge influence in this team has failed to reproduce the same form thus far. His deputy Obey Mwerahari has also been a pale shadow of himself as he has been battling fitness.
Mutasa, however, said Mushure played one of his best games in Kariba.
"Most of our senior players have been lacking match fitness but I was impressed during the match against ZPC Kariba. Obey finished the entire 90 minutes and played very well. Ocean played one of his best games. I was really happy with the overall performance of the team. I still believe we have a solid team and are slowly getting there. We are happy with the point we gained. We are now looking forward to our next match with great hunger," he said.
Last term Mutasa's side struggled at the start of the campaign as he had to make do with untried players following the departure of several stars but he turned around things to eventually finish as runners up to eventual champions FC Platinum.
The Dynamos gaffer has, however, said he wants his charges to better that performance this term, suggesting they are eyeing the league title.
Source - newsday
