After winning the 2011 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title on Sunday, Dynamos return today to prepare for the Mbada Diamonds Cup final against Motor Action set for the National Sports Stadium this weekend.
Dynamos beat Motor Action 2-0 two weeks back to claw their way back into the league championship race and completed a fairy tale comeback under coach Calisto Pasuwa to win the title on goal difference on Sunday.
The new champions beat Kiglon 2-0 on an afternoon when their nearest rivals FC Platinum beat Shooting Stars 3-1 at Gwanzura, to finish on 58 points.
Dynamos scored 42 times and conceded 15 while Platinum hit the nets 44 times, leaking in 21 goals. While the celebrations went late into the night and yesterday morning, it’s back to the field as they seek a league and cup double that will give them more status in Africa next season.
Motor Action have already bagged the BancABC Sup8r trophy after beating Highlanders 1-0 in the final on September 10 in Bulawayo to earn a ticket into Africa’s Caf Confederation Cup.
Dynamos want to play in this cup as well if they win the Mbada final due to the financial assistance offered by the sponsors for participating in Africa next year.
The tournament will see the winners pocketing $75 000, a floating trophy and $150 000 worth of accommodation and air tickets sponsorship subsidy to participate in the Caf Confederation Cup.
Further this subsidy shall be used to procure $25 000 worth of kit sponsorship bearing Mbada Diamonds logo for use during the 2012 Caf Confederation Cup tournament while the runners-up will pocket $50 000.
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Pasuwa took over from Lloyd Mutasa after 19 games when Dynamos had been beaten five times, won eight and drawn six times and will be looking at writing his name in the history of local football.
His player, Rodreck Mutuma, has already clinched the Golden Boot with 14 goals in addition to winning the league title and wants a third medal from the cup.
Pasuwa won nine games, drew one and lost one, in the process seeing his charges score 23 goals and conceding just four, in leading Dynamos to their 13th title win since 1980 when Zimbabwe was born.
Highlanders have won the second highest number of titles with seven, the last arriving in 2006, Caps are at four while Zimbabwe Saints, Black Aces, AmaZulu, Monomotapa, Gunners and Motor Action have each won once since 1980.
Pasuwa is now in the big boys’ club joining Sunday Chidzambwa, Rahman Gumbo, Luke Masomere, Moses Chunga, Joey Antipas, Norman Mapeza, Methembe Ndlovu and David Mandigora among some of the coaches who have lifted the highest medal in the league.
In their encounter in the league, Dynamos beat Motor Action 2-0 in a game that really did not rise to its expected levels. The Mighty Bulls were far from the team that won 2-0 in the reverse fixture — leaving more questions than answers.
