DYNAMOS have stoked the flames ahead of their Castle Lager Premiership football clash against bitter rivals FC Platinum at Mandava this afternoon, suggesting that the platinum miners were benefiting from dubious refereeing decisions.
BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
The Glamour Boys were edged 1-0 in the reverse fixture in Harare in April, with Winstone Mhango converting from the penalty spot after Gift Saunyama was adjudged to have handled the ball by Harare referee Ruzive Ruzive.
And, Dynamos team manager Richard Chihoro still believes that the penalty awarded to FC Platinum was dubious and that a draw would have been a fair result. He said yesterday that FC Platinum had been awarded more penalties than any other team this season, most of which were dubious.
Chihoro expressed confidence they would beat FC Platinum in their own backyard provided the officiating would be fair.
“As long as the ground is even, we will beat FC Platinum in their own backyard. We just pray that the playing field will be even,” he said, cranking up pressure on FC Platinum coach, Norman Mapeza as well as the match officials. “FC Platinum have benefited in the past from dubious penalty decisions by match officials. If you rewind, that penalty in our previous meeting in Harare was not genuine. It was dubious and a draw would have been a fair result. This season alone, they have been awarded seven penalties. We hope it will not be the same at Mandava tomorrow.”
Dynamos welcome their captain, Ocean Mushure, who has missed a couple of matches while on national duty with the Warriors at the Cosafa tournament held in South Africa recently.
Mushure later picked an injury while on national duty, which ruled him out of the Warriors’ decisive African Nations Championship (Chan) qualifier against Namibia at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
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There were genuine fears he might miss the big clash against FC Platinum today. However, Chihoro allayed those fears. “Ocean has recovered from injury and is available for the match against FC Platinum. We have all our players available for selection except Quality Kangadze, who is still nursing an injury,” he said.
But Cameroonian international, Christian Epoupa was only expected to fly into the country yesterday from his native home, where he had gone for a short break.
Epoupa, the club’s leading goal scorer with five goals, did not play a part in the reverse fixture against FC Platinum, as he had not received his clearance papers. It was not immediately clear whether he would play a part this afternoon.
Dynamos head coach, Lloyd Mutasa returns to the bench having been preoccupied with national team assignments.
The Glamour Boys have been enjoying a purple patch in which they have dropped just two points in their last seven matches to climb to third on the log, one point behind Black Rhinos.
Their opponents FC Platinum lost top spot on the league table, dropping to fifth although they are just two points behind surprise leaders Black Rhinos at the halfway stage of the campaign.
Mapeza has signed up experienced stars, who include Takesure Chinyama, Mkhokheli Dube and Ali Sadiki to strengthen the team, as he bids for the championship.
Mapeza, who doubles as senior national team coach, has been tasked by his employers, FC Platinum, to deliver the championship this season.
