Mukamba boost for Dynamos

DYNAMOS have received a huge boost ahead of their Harare Derby clash against CAPS United at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday with two of their key players, including midfielder Denver Mukamba, certified fit to play.

The duo of Mukamba and Donald Mudadi had been grounded by injuries over the past two weeks and they both missed the Independence Trophy final against Highlanders in Mt Darwin on April 18 as well as the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League tie against Bulawayo Chiefs last Sunday.

The Glamour Boys lost both those matches, losing on penalties to Highlanders after a goalless draw in regulation time while they lost 3-2 to Bulawayo Chiefs in the league at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.

Without Mukamba, Dynamos struggled for creativity and fluidity in those matches and even failed to beat Highlanders despite playing for more than 55 minutes with a numerical advantage after Bosso's Andrew Mbeba had been red-carded just five minutes after the half-hour mark. Mudadi has been, by far, the best player at Dynamos this season and the stability he brings in the middle of the park has been evidently lacking in the past two games.

Mukamba has been struggling with a leg sprain while Mudadi has been nursing an ankle strain. And their recovery means a lot for DeMbare coach Herbert "Jompano" Maruwa who could ease the pressure on him with a positive result against Makepekepe on Sunday. CAPS United top the log standings with 12 points in six matches while Dynamos are only four points adrift with a game in hand.

However, it is how the Glamour Boys have been applying themselves in the past three league matches that has especially infuriated their fans. Maruwa said it was important for him to have a full complement of his squad ahead of the match against Makepekepe.

It will be Maruwa's first time to sit in the dugout as the DeMbare head coach in the Harare Derby and the former Black Rhinos gaffer is relishing the challenge.

"The team is in good shape. All the players who were injured are back, including Donald Mudadi and Denver Mukamba. They are all back ahead of the big match against CAPS United. It's a big game but we need to make sure that we get a positive result and stay within sniffing distance of the leaders in the marathon," said Maruwa. "As the technical team, we are very happy that the executive has come to us and ensured their full support. Sometimes I feel sorry for the fans because they want us to win at all costs but at times they also need to understand that we have a completely new team which I think needs patience. DeMbare will also welcome back Ghanaian forward Emmanuel Paga into the fold after he apologised to the team.

Paga was dropped for the match against Bulawayo Chiefs last weekend. He was the villain of the penalty lottery against Bosso as he missed his spot-kick to effectively hand over the Independence Trophy to the Bulawayo giants. But the Ghanaian, who was DeMbare's top-scorer in the league with 10 goals last year, yesterday decided to issue an apology to his teammates, technical team and the executive which visited the team's training ground at Alex Sports Club.  Maruwa confirmed Paga is available for selection in the match against CAPS United.