THE harvest of goals that Kalisto Pasuwa promised did not come, but still Dynamos did enough to take a giant leap towards the first round of the Caf Champions League after dismissing Lesotho Correctional Services (LCS) 3-0 on Sunday at Rufaro Stadium.
REPORT BY HENRY MHARA
Barring any Houdini Act from the Basotho, Dynamos are well on their way to meeting either Al-Ittihad of Libya or CA Birzetin of Tunisia.
Tawanda Muparati’s fabulous right foot volley on the run, Boban Ziruntusa’s header and Patson Jaure’s thunder strike from a free-kick put Dynamos in a comfortable position.
The return leg will be played in Maseru, Lesotho, in a fortnight, but after the Sunday show at Rufaro, no one will be condemned for saying that the match has been reduced to a mere formality.
LCS coach Mosholu “Shoes” Mokhothu wore a brave face after the defeat and predicted his club would overturn the deficit in their own backyard, apparently because his “star striker had not made the trip to Harare due to an injury”.
History will, however, remind Pasuwa and his men that a commanding home win is not a guarantee of qualification into the next round.
In 2011, the Harare giants soundly beat Algerian champions MC Algiers 4-1 at Rufaro Stadium only to crumble to a 3-0 margin in Algiers to bow out of the competition.
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Although recent history does not favour them, Dynamos were technically and tactically superior to their weekend visitors and should find no difficulties in finishing off the job in Lesotho.
The hosts dominated play and with better finishing they could have racked in some few more goals.
The real test for Dynamos should begin in the first round stage where they are likely to face Al-Ittihad.
The Libyan champions forced a 1-1 draw against CA Bizerte of Tunisia in Tunis on Friday and will take back a precious away goal to Tripoli in two weeks’ time.
Pasuwa’s men have struggled against North Africans in this competition before and while they looked at ease against LCS, it will be a different ball game altogether in the first round and they will need to do a lot better if they are to progress beyond this round.
Jaure and Gift Bello are beginning to understand each other appearing at the heart of defence after playing together last season, but their short height is likely to count against them when they face “real men” from the North.
Devon Chafa was also awesome in midfield against LCS, spraying those passes about, but he is not the kind of grafter needed against strong opposition. A gritty midfielder like Milton Makopa — currently down with an injury — would be needed to help Chafa.
Stephen Alimenda could have done the job during his prime, but the former Highlanders and Caps United man has become so slow that Pasuwa could not even trust him against a team like LCS.
The creative hub led by Muparati looks promising and new man Ziruntusa showed good skill in the air, a good characteristic needed especially when playing against strong and big North Africans.
Pasuwa’s biggest concern should be in the strike force department. He played Russel Madamombe, a natural winger, as the man to find the target and that tactic was always bound to fail.
Recovering Farai Mupasiri is the only recognisable striker in Pasuwa’s Champions League squad and he looked rusty when he was introduced midway in the second half.
Without doubting the young man’s capabilities, Pasuwa cannot entirely rely on greenhorn Mupasiri alone to deliver in the Champions League and Francesco Zekumbawire is needed. (See another story on Page 31)
