Dynamos coach, Lloyd Mutasa, will look to test his ammunition ahead of the 2017 season when his team, collides with Caps United in the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Charities semifinal at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
The Glamour Boys travelled to Mozambique for international friendlies in preparation for the coming season and Sunday will be the first time their fans will have an opportunity to have an insight of what to expect this season.
After losing several stars to rival clubs as the management struggled to tie them to new deals due to lack of funding, Mutasa has started to rebuild a new team with a mixture of youth and experience.
The team has been to Mozambique where they played some friendly matches, but a clash against Caps United gives the coach a better insight considering that clashes between the two are almost always ferociously contested.
Mutasa finds himself in a situation where he has to come up with a team that can compete from limited resources, something he has done with success before.
The former Dynamos midfielder said Sunday’s match was a perfect opportunity to assess the team’s readiness ahead of the upcoming season. He said, while they would want to win the match, the bigger picture was to assess their players on a grand occasion.
“We have played two friendly matches as part of our preparations for the upcoming season and the match against Caps on Sunday is third match,” Mutasa said.
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“It is a charity match and we would want to try and win, but the bigger picture for us is to see how far we have gone in terms of our rebuilding. We want to see the kind of players we have when playing on a big stage. These are the kind of games we need. That is when you will be able to see which players have big game temperament and who does not have. So, it is a very important match for us. The team is shaping, but it’s still work in progress. After this match, we should be able to see where we are in terms of our preparations,” he said.
Mutasa said he was happy with the atmosphere in his camp.
“The atmosphere in camp is incredible. The environment is just conducive and there is unity of purpose. We are working as a team,” he said.
On the other hand, Caps United will be using the match to gain match sharpness ahead of their Champions League first round clash against continental powerhouse, TP Mazembe.
The Green Machine laboured to a 2-1 victory over Lesotho champions, Lioli, in the second leg of the preliminary round to advance to the first round, where they will face the former African champions.
A victory over the Glamour Boys will give them the much-needed confidence ahead of the TP Mazembe clash.
Defending champions, Highlanders face FC Platinum in the other semi-final at Barbourfields Stadium. Winners of the ZNA Charities Shield will walk away with $12 000, while runners up will pocket $8 000.
