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Crunch time: Dynamos faces Buffaloes

Sport
DYNAMOS have received the International Transfer Certificate (ITC) for Rodreck Mutuma and the striker could make his return for the club tomorrow if selected by coach Kalisto Pasuwa.

DYNAMOS have received the International Transfer Certificate (ITC) for Rodreck Mutuma and the striker could make his return for the club tomorrow if selected by coach Kalisto Pasuwa.

HENRY MHARA

The Premier Soccer League champions, still smarting from a shock 1-0 defeat away to Chapungu on Thursday, host Buffaloes at the National Sports Stadium.

Club secretary-general Webster Chikengezha yesterday confirmed that they had received the ITC for Mutuma, who had been a free agent after being released by South African club Bloemfontein Celtic last month, just over a year into his contract.

“We have sent the papers to the Premier Soccer League so that he can be registered. We are hoping they would be processed as early as possible so that he can play,” said Chikengezha.

Pasuwa could not be reached for comment on whether he would rush the striker into the team although indications are that the towering forward would be swiftly thrust into the fray.

Before departing for South Africa, Mutuma had won the Golden Boot Award after scoring 14 goals in his second season with the club.

Since his departure, Dynamos have been struggling upfront and although they won the league title last year, the conversion rate by their strikers was minimal with midfielders doing most of the job.

The six strikers at the club this season have scored just two goals in five games.

And the two goals came from one player Anesu Gondo, who scored a brace against a struggling Harare City last weekend.

The other strikers at the club are Washington Pakamisa, Simba Sithole, Patrick Khumbula, Farai Mupasiri and Clive Kawinga. Pakamisa is out due to bereavement.

If selected to play tomorrow, Mutuma’s immediate task will be to breach the Buffaloes defence that has been improving by each passing week.

Since conceding four goals in the 5-1 defeat at Hwange in their season opener, the Luke Masomere-coached side have kept a clean sheet. Only Highlanders (three) and ZPC Kariba (one) have a better defence record than Buffaloes this far.

However, just like Pasuwa, Masomere should be worried about the poor scoring rate of his team, who have scored just four goals, two of those coming in a single match, in the 2-0 win over Chicken Inn.

The army side have a better momentum than their opponent tomorrow going into the match after their 1-0 midweek win over troubled Harare City.

They are on seventh position with eight points, one behind third-placed Dynamos who are hard-pressed to appease their fans in this match. Meanwhile, the PSL has credited Tendai Mukambi with the goal that was scored by Chicken Inn to snatch a point against Highlanders at Barbourfields on Thursday.

While all the media outlets that covered the match and Chicken Inn themselves even concurred that it was substitute George Majika who dinked the ball over Highlanders goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya to score, the referee’s report from the match indicates that it was Mukambi who scored the goal.

PSL competitions manager Elisha Mandireva yesterday said they had awarded the goal to Mukambi based on referee Thomas Masaa’s report.

With the goal, Mukambi is now the league’s top goal scorer with four goals, followed by the Hwange duo of Aleck Marime and Rodwell Chinyengetere on three goals. Also on three goals are Diya, Nhamo Lameck (Triangle), Kuda Musharu (How Mine), and Caps United’s Dominic Chungwa. The Golden Boot winner gets $3 000 at the end of the season.