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NewsDay

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Dynamos lose again

Sport
DYNAMOS coach Kalisto Pasuwa did his best to maintain a calm face as he tried to explain his side’s latest home defeat — this time to Buffaloes.

DYNAMOS . . . . . . . . . 0 BUFFALOES . . . . . (1) 1

HENRY MHARA

DYNAMOS coach Kalisto Pasuwa did his best to maintain a calm face as he tried to explain his side’s latest home defeat — this time to Buffaloes.

As he trudged towards the journalists at the final whistle at the National Sports Stadium yesterday, the beleaguered coach looked a broken man. The latest blip was his side’s third loss of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) season, all coming almost in the same fashion: dominating possession, creating, wasting chances and then conceding an odd goal to lose the contest 1-0.

The fact that the team lost only four matches the whole of last season on their way to capturing their third straight league title put into perspective how things have deteriorated at the club.

Midfielder Roy Mwenga punished the Dynamos defence with a low header from a Moses Gutu corner kick deep into first half stoppage time.

This was a second straight defeat for the league champions after their 1-0 loss to Chapungu in a mid-week match last week.

One will have to dig deep into the history books to find the last time Dynamos lost two matches on the bounce.

Reports of a fall-out between Pasuwa and club chairman Keni Mubaiwa emerged this week while the club supporters seem to have lost their trust in the coach.

The fans were relentless in their abuse towards the coach as he strolled back to the dressing room after the match.

Quizzed about the alleged fall-out with his boss, Pasuwa refused to comment. He was, however, open to discuss the team’s recent poor performance.

“It’s [the losses] bad for the club and we will have to sit down and see how and where we need to improve. We are creating chances, but we are failing to convert them. It was the same thing again today [yesterday] where we created good chances, but we couldn’t utilise them and they [Buffaloes] had one chance and they buried it,” said Pasuwa.

The major letdown for Pasuwa has been his strikers especially Washington Pakamisa who continue to miss chances, most of them glaring. With news emerging that the PSL was refusing to register the returning Rodreck Mutuma, there is no doubt Pasuwa will be further subjugated.

Club secretary Webster Chikengezha said they had submitted the relevant papers to the league, who in turn said the striker is not a free agent and cannot be registered. The lanky striker was present at the National Sports Stadium yesterday and was given a rapturous applause by the supporters as he walked into the giant facility just before the start of the match.

Having collected four points from their last two visits to the capital, Buffaloes started like a team enjoying the confidence that comes with momentum. But, it was the hosts who created the better chances and could have taken the lead as early as the fourth minute.

Tafadzwa Rusike managed to create some space inside the six yard box, but skied his effort. It set the tone of what followed throughout the match for the Harare giants.

In the 16th minute, the lively Anesu Gondo beat the outdrawn Buffaloes goalkeeper Blessing Mwandimutsira on speed, but he somehow missed the target, hitting the side netting.

Ocean Mushure, Walter Mukanga and Ronald Chitiyo all had good chances to put their side ahead, but it was not to be.

The visitors were far less of a threat to the Dynamos goal, but as the home side continued to miss chances, there was a feeling that they would be punished.

Pakamisa wasted the best chance of the match right at the stroke of the half-time when he scuffed his effort after being put through by Partson Jaure.

The punishment was immediate. A low corner into the box was allowed to run across the face of goal and Mwenga popped up at the far post to head home. That was Buffaloes’ first shot on target the whole first half.

That pattern of play followed in the second half and Buffaloes had a fortunate escape when referee Norman Matemera ruled off Mukanga’s goal for an offside on 78th minute although his first assistant had his flag down.

Dynamos pressed for an equaliser, but in the end, it was Mwenga’s goal that separated the sides on yet another disappointing afternoon for the league champions.

Teams Dynamos: G Chigova, T Magorimbo, O Mushure, P Jaure, T Ndlovu, S Alimenda, W Mukanga (B Amidu, 80th min), T Rusike, R Chitiyo, W Pakamisa, A Gondo (M Murape, 43rd min). Buffaloes: B Mwandimutsira, S Choenda, M Gutu, L Chakoroma, P Chandisaita, S Nkata, F Bushiri, J Takunda, R Mwenga (P Thembani, 79th min), J Muzokomba, M Fenyeka (A Dzumbunu, 46th min) Results at a glance Yesterday: Highlanders 4-0 Caps United, Dynamos 0-1 Buffaloes, Chapungu 1-1 Shabanie Mine, Black Rhinos 0-1 Chicken Inn, Triangle 1-5 ZPC Kariba Saturday: How Mine 2-0 Hwange, FC Platinum 2-1 Harare City, Bantu Rovers 0-2 Chiredzi