Dynamos coach Lloyd Mutasa is happy with the team’s improved start to the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season in comparison with last term, but is a bit frustrated because he feels it could have been better.
BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
One of the targets that DeMbare set for themselves this season was to collect more points in the first five games than they did last term.
This time the popular Harare giants have collected seven points from the first five matches, two more than they did last term, but little as it is, its progressive enough to produce an aura of optimism for this season.
Last season, the Glamour Boys, then under the guidance of Portuguese coach Paulo Jorge Silva, had managed five points out of a possible 15.
They lost the opening match to Chicken Inn (3-0), drew against Triangle (0-0), won against Mutare City (2-1), lost (1-0) to Caps United and drew against Hwange (0-0).
Mutasa had insisted before the start of the season that they would want to do better than last season in the first five games of the campaign. Although this falls short of expectations by the Dynamos faithfuls, the DeMbare coach yesterday said they were on the right track.
“We had said to ourselves we want to do better than last season in the first five games which we managed,” he said.
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“That is positive because it’s a step in the right direction. But it’s a small leap forward than what we would have wanted. If you rewind, in our opening match against FC Platinum, we dominated, but couldn’t convert our chances.”
Mutasa’s frustration stems from the matches where his team played well and failed to make the most out of it.
He also feels that injuries have given a knock on his team’s start.
“There is also the factor of injured senior players. It somehow affected our rhythm. Against How Mine we were missing key players due to injury and that was the key determinant of the result. But going forward, we now have these players available and we hope to take each game as it comes.”
The Glamour Boys are on 10th place with seven points in five matches, five points off the pace are desperate for maximum points.
DeMbare are still looking for fluency, with Mutasa having blended youth and experience in his rebuilding exercise. On a positive note for him, the DeMbare supporters have been unusually patient with him and appear to understand the direction he is taking with the team.
It has only been five matches for Dynamos so far but they brought with them mixed emotions for the former Dynamos midfielder.
The five matches have been punctuated by tears both of joy and sheer anguish, but generally he must be pleased that the team have not been a laughing stock like they were at this stage last season.
When they played well they really look like they can be a force this time on.
Up next is a tricky Harare derby against old enemy Caps United and a win will bring them back in the championship matrix.
On Sunday, Dynamos recovered from the 1-0 defeat to How Mine to beat Premiership new boys Yadah Stars for the first time since their entry into the topflight league this season.
The Premiership new boys had been unbeaten in the league until fullback Ocean Mushure, returning from injury after missing the defeat to How Mine, struck the decisive goal from a free kick to bring their unbeaten record to an abrupt end.
