×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Ndiraya look to avenge DeMbare exit

Sport
AS Dynamos coach Lloyd Mutasa makes the trip to the Boabab to face Ngezi FC Platinum tomorrow, he faces one of his biggest tests against Tonderai Ndiraya (pictured) in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match that provides an interesting sub-plot.

AS Dynamos coach Lloyd Mutasa makes the trip to the Boabab to face Ngezi FC Platinum tomorrow, he faces one of his biggest tests against Tonderai Ndiraya (pictured) in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match that provides an interesting sub-plot.

BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA/FORTUNE MBELE

tonderayi-ndiraya

Ndiraya, who is gradually rebuilding his reputation at Ngezi after he was unceremoniously frozen out at Dynamos last season, has not lost a match to a fellow Dynamos son since assuming his new role.

He was appointed as Ngezi coach just two days before the Premiership newboys travelled to Harare to face the Glamour Boys, who had parted ways with Portuguese coach Paulo Jorge Silva, with Mutasa then assistant coach, elevated to the top post.

The former DeMbare midfielder, however, watched from the terraces as his team, under the now demoted Clifton Kadurira, was defeated 2-0 by the Harare giants.

He took charge of the team immediately after the match and led them on a remarkable eight-game unbeaten run that included sweet victories over Triangle and ZPC Kariba, managed by his former bosses in David Mandigora and Sunday Chidzambga.

Ndiraya played under Chidzambga in Dynamos’ 1998 squad that reached the Caf Champions League finals and was Mandigora’s assistant at the Harare giants not so long ago.

But all that counted for very little as he thrashed Triangle 3-1 before seeing off ZPC Kariba 1-0.

Tomorrow, he comes face-to-face with another former Dynamos son Mutasa, hoping to carry on with his good record in clashes against fellow Dynamos sons.

“Yes it’s motivating to have won against ZPC Kariba and Triangle, but Dynamos are a completely different team. They are a big institution and can punish you regardless of who is coach. We have to work harder than we have been doing if we are to get a good result,” Ndiraya said.

More significantly for Ndiraya, this match provides him with the chance for personal revenge after he was frozen out of Dynamos despite leading the team to a second position finish.

The club’s top hierarchy decided against renewing his contract regardless of the achievement, and there is no doubt he will be out to get one over on his old employers.

Ngezi are also home to a long list of former Dynamos players including Patson Jaure, Zivanai Mhanda, Tichaona Mabvura, Washington Pakamisa, Walter Mukanga and Kelvin Bulaji who would be looking to make an impression following their exit from the club, most of them acrimoniously.

Jaure, Mukanga and Bulaji will be facing their former side for the first time since joining the team in the June transfer window.

Dynamos supporters had hoped to see Jaure rejoining the club following his return from a brief spell in South Africa, but the defender chose the quiet life of Mhondoro.

On the high number of the former Dynamos players in the team and their possible inclusion in tomorrow’s matchday squad, Ndiraya said, “There will obviously be emotions, but we select players based on how they perform at training and whoever is selected has to give everything to the team, otherwise we will get punished. The fact that one was a Dynamos player does not give them a ticket to get into the team. They have to earn their place in the team.”

Dynamos, who arrested a six-match winless streak on Sunday with a 2-1 victory over Moses Chunga’s Harare City, are making the short trip to Ngezi without full-back Ocean Mushure who is serving suspension for picking three yellow cards.

The victory over City lifted them to fourth position on the league table with 31 points, 11 adrift of log leaders FC Platinum while Ngezi Platinum’s 2-0 defeat to Border Strikers left them in 11th position with 26 points.

Meanwhile, Highlanders’ slump in recent weeks has been surreal and another loss to How Mine when the two teams meet at Barbourfields Stadium tomorrow would turn their already dire situation into a full-blown crisis.

Bosso have not won a match in their last six, losing four of those. That their form guide is even worse than that of Border Strikers at the bottom of the log, gives a clear picture of how the former giants have fallen.

But despite the surprise loss in form, they have maintained their position in the top three with 32 points, 10 behind leaders FC Platinum, but another loss tomorrow could see them plummeting to seventh position.

Coach Erol Akbay, who had turned himself into a darling with the Bosso fans following a fluid start to life at the club, is beginning to feel pressure.

“We came together as the technical staff and we have talked about the problems that we have and how we can solve them,” Akbay said yesterday.

Part of solving the problems, according to the Dutchman, is intensifying the team’s training sessions. He reckons the team has lost some of the tempo that saw them flying out of the blocks at the start of the title race.

While Bosso have been hobbling, How Mine are smooth sailing. After a difficult start to the season, they are on a seven match unbeaten run which has seen them moving to ninth place on the log standings with 27 points.

If selected for the match, new man Milton Ncube would be facing his former club Highlanders for the first time since joining from Ajax Cape Town recently.

The Kelvin Kaindu-coached side will however be without striker Kudakwashe Musharu who is suspended for accumulating three yellow cards.