Dynamos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1 CA Bizertin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 0 (CA Bizertin advance 3-1 aggregate)
Report by Tawanda Tafirennyika
SWEAT and pain. This all, but sums up Dynamos’ Caf Champions League club football campaign in the last three years. And against North African opposition.
Yesterday marked yet another sensational exit from the same competition despite a win engineered by midfielder Cliff Sekete against Tunisian side CA Bizertin in the decisive first round second leg at Rufaro Stadium.
The Zimbabwean champions went into the match needing to overturn a 3-0 deficit from the first leg and their game plan was to attack from the first whistle to get the goals that could have seen them advance.
But they wilted before a huge home crowd that had anticipated a goal harvest with the visiting side even threatening to score a crucial away goal.
The Tunisians advance to the next round in which they will meet Egyptian giants Al Ahly courtesy of a 3-1 aggregate win. It’s the second successive time that Kalisto Pasuwa’s charges have collapsed at this stage of the competition ironically at the hands of teams from the same country.
Last season, Dynamos were handed a comprehensive 7-1 aggregate defeat by Tunisian giants Esperance, having lost to MC Alger of Algeria the previous season.
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And yesterday Pasuwa was left a dejected man again. “We lost the match in the attacking third,” Pasuwa said afterwards. “We struggled in the offensive third. We didn’t have depth. That is why when we pulled out Farai Mupasiri we had to replace him with a midfielder (Tichaona Mabvura). But now that we are out of the African Champions League we now need to focus on the domestic title. We have to tell the boys to put this defeat behind and concentrate on winning the domestic title.”
The match nearly turned violent as frustrated Dynamos fans from the Vietnam stand pelted South African match officials for adjudging that Boban Ziruntusa was in an offside position as he prepared to take a crack at goal in the 71st minute forcing a brief stoppage. It needed the intervention of veteran midfielder Murape Murape who pleaded with the fans to remain calm.
Dynamos started strongly, but the visitors gave an early scare just two minutes into the match with midfielder Kamel Zaiem hitting a free kick on the edge of the area which was tipped over by Dynamos goalkeeper Artwell Mukandi.
In the 15th minute, Farai Mupasiri, who partnered Ziruntusa in the absence of Francesco Zekumbawira, who failed to pass a late fitness test, missed a headed opportunity from a cross by Ocean Mushure. Bizertin, however, also had a good chance five minutes later, only for Med Ali Mhadhbi to be denied by Mukandi.
In the 34th minute, Tawanda Muparati was guilty of a glaring miss after a good delivery from the right by Patson Jaure.
Two minutes later, Augustine Mbara, who partnered Sidney Linyama at the heart of defence, watched his downward header from a cross by Murape missing target.
And as Dynamos continued to attack relentlessly, Muparati came close only for his long-range effort to be tipped over by goalkeeper Farouk Ben Mustapho.
In the second half, Bizertin could have got a crucial away goal with substitute Maroun Troudi’s spectacular scissors kick being tipped over by Mukandi with the defence guilty of ball-watching. Pasuwa then made a change bringing on Mabvura for Mupasiri in the 56th minute hoping to get the elusive goals.
And one did come in referee’s optional time with Sekete pouncing on a rebound from Mabvura to slot into the nets.
As South African referee Victor Miguel Moses blew to end the match, Dynamos players and their coaches looked dejected and downcast. Bizertin coach Kbaier Mondher was delighted with progressing to the next round despite the loss.
