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NewsDay

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Pasuwa unfazed by Esperance

Sport
Dynamos coach Calisto Pasuwa is unfazed by Espérance of Tunisia’s status in the Caf Champions League ahead of the two teams’ collision in the final round before the mini-league phase. The former DeMbare midfielder presided over Dynamos’ passage through to the second round when the Harare giants brushed aside Mozambican giants Liga Desportivo Muçulmana de […]

Dynamos coach Calisto Pasuwa is unfazed by Espérance of Tunisia’s status in the Caf Champions League ahead of the two teams’ collision in the final round before the mini-league phase.

The former DeMbare midfielder presided over Dynamos’ passage through to the second round when the Harare giants brushed aside Mozambican giants Liga Desportivo Muçulmana de Maputo 1-0 at Rufaro on Sunday following up on a two-all draw in Maputo in the first leg.

But while the prospect of meeting Espérance looks daunting considering the Tunisian giants’ reputation in this tournament, Pasuwa is not losing sleep.

“We are not worried about them. They will field 11 players and we will also field 11 players, so there is no need to fear,” said Pasuwa. “We take each game as it comes and we know we have to prepare well for the next game.”

The 24-time Tunisian champions, Espérance, have won the competition on two occasions with the latest being last year having also made it to the final the previous year — and they rarely miss the money spinning mini-league phase.

On their way to the final they also beat Dynamos with an identical 1-0 score line in the two legs the teams played in 2010.

Dynamos completed the job against Liga Muçulmana to book a next phase berth, but their performance in the second leg still begged answers. While they were lively and attack-oriented in the first half, the second half was a dull midfield punch-up with little goalmouth action to talk about. “We will have to sort a few things the players were not going forward. In the second half they were content with defending, a job they did well, but they rushed things and made too many mistakes,” added Pasuwa.

To their credit DeMbare shut out the gates on their opponents who didn’t have a sniff of goal despite out-passing the hosts in the second half, but going forward the Harare giants were flat.

In the first half they missed a lot of chances and surely they cannot afford that playing a team of Espérance’s repute.

Takesure Chinyama’s contribution cannot be overemphasised after the striker netted three times in the two legs to propel his team forward. He wastes very few chances, if any and he almost always takes his first chance, a dimension which makes Dynamos a force to reckon with when he is on the field.

Yet they cannot afford to rely too much on him because with what football is, the dry season or injuries and suspension will come and someone will have to step up and take over responsibility. Denver Mukamba has been getting into positions, but failing to convert several chances. He played well in both legs doing everything right except scoring.

He was guilty of missing several chances on Sunday and he knows all too well that his team will need him to be more precise.

Pasuwa employed him to dance around the lone striker and if he can make the chances for the goal machine Chinyama then that can be good enough. Rodrick Mutuma assumed a new role playing wide on the left, few chances came his way, but he has proved that once restored to the central attacker’s position, he can do the job.

If Pasuwa had been worried about his defence before this match, he can think about other things now after right full back Thomas Magorimbo, Ocean Mushure on the left side and the central pairing of George Magariro and Patson Jaure played solidly at the back. They never gave anything away and never allowed the Muçulmana strikers space ensuring goalkeeper Washington Arubi was well protected.

It’s early days to Pasuwa’s men with the local season only just beginning and by the time they take on Espérance they would have polished their act and hitting the right notes.