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DeMbare pre-season preps in false start

Sport
DYNAMOS’ preparations for the 2017 Castle Lager Premiership football campaign got off to a false start, with coach Lloyd Mutasa cancelling auditions to sign new players because of the incessant rains that have hit the capital and most parts of the country.

DYNAMOS’ preparations for the 2017 Castle Lager Premiership football campaign got off to a false start, with coach Lloyd Mutasa cancelling auditions to sign new players because of the incessant rains that have hit the capital and most parts of the country.

BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA

The Glamour Boys had invited players for trials this week, with hundreds turning up on Monday at Motor Action Sports Club, but the auditions, which were supposed to last for a week, had to be called off, as the pitch turned into a mud bath due to poor drainage.

The club was yesterday running around to find an alternative venue for the trials, a process they want to use to select players for the upcoming season.

“We couldn’t manage to have the trials as we had planned. We just managed to assess some players on Monday, but the pitch has become unplayable because of the continuous rains,” team manager Richard Chihoro said yesterday.

“So it has become difficult for us to continue with the trials. The option we have now is to switch to Rufaro Stadium and right now, I am running around to try and secure funds so that we can book to use the stadium. This means we will now have to resume the auditions tomorrow (today) and finish on Sunday. On Monday, we should be starting our pre-season preparations proper with the rest of the players.”

Mutasa and his assistant, Murape Murape, have invited players for trials, as they seek to assemble a new team, after the club was decimated by the departure of several key players including midfielder, Brett Amidu, who has found a new home at FC Platinum.

Soccer Star of the Year finalist, Godknows Murwira and Dominic Mukandi have sealed deals with Ngezi Platinum.

Skipper, Stephen Alimenda and goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva, who is currently on duty with the Warriors at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Gabon, are still to commit themselves to Dynamos after their contracts expired on December 31.

Vice-captain, Ocean Mushure had threatened to move on after the club reneged on paying him his outstanding signing-on fee from the previous deal. However, the issue has since been sorted and he has since penned a new two-year deal with the former champions.

Dynamos failed to mount a serious challenge on the championship in the last campaign in which they finished fifth after a disastrous experiment with Portuguese coach, Paulo Jorge Silva.

But this time around, the Glamour Boys have opted for continuity, with Mutasa, who took over from the Portuguese, having been given a fresh mandate to lead them this term.