Shabanie Mine have warned Dynamos of an uncomfortable afternoon when the title-chasing Harare giants face the Chinda Boys in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Maglas Stadium tomorrow afternoon.
By Terry Madyauta
Technical director, Taku Shariwa said Dynamos would not find it easy in their pursuit of three points in a match both teams can ill-afford anything less than a win, albeit for contrasting reasons.
After a morale-boosting victory over ZPC Kariba in a Chibuku Super Cup match played on Sunday, Shariwa believes that his side has the capacity to beat any team in the top-flight and holds no fear as they confront table-toppers DeMbare.
Shabanie will look to capitalise on DeMbare’s dip in form, where they have failed to win a match in their last three encounters in all competitions.
DeMbare drew against Highlander before the dispiriting defeat to Caps United, which was followed up by another set-back, losing to Bulawayo City in the first round of the Chibuku Super Cup.
On the other hand, in their last two league outings, the Zvishavane side upset title contenders Ngezi Platinum Stars 1-0 at Maglas Stadium before they drew to Chapungu.
Shariwa, however, admits that despite the slight improvement in his team’s performance, a date with DeMbare presents a different challenge for his charges, who managed to hold their more fancied opponents to a draw in their first league meeting this term.
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A win for Shabanie is crucial in their bid to escape relegation, as the season enters the home stretch, while a victory for DeMbare will see them maintain pole position.
Shariwa said his players would go out to fight for all three points when they clash with Lloyd Mutasa’s charges.
“Every game has its own game plan and in this particular game, we are aiming at collecting maximum points no matter the consequence. We have to give it our all and ensure that we run away from the relegation,” he said.
“We are not going to be a walk-over for Dynamos because we also desperately need to collect those points.
“Our safety is our priority at the moment and we want to ensure that nothing deters us from achieving it. The same will apply to all the other opponents we will face after Thursday’s game against Dynamos.
“We want to capitalise on the home ground advantage to get maximum points. Maglas is our fortress and it will not be a comfortable afternoon for Dynamos. Despite the fact that we are coming from a gruelling trip from Kariba, we have been working very hard to ensure that the team is fit for the game against Dynamos.”
Winning has proved to be a tough task at Maglas for visiting teams, where the Chinda Boys have only lost twice this season.
For that match, DeMbare will be without star man Christian Ntouba, who will be serving a suspension following a red card in the Highlanders match.
Meanwhile, FC Platinum coach, Norman Mapeza is under pressure when his team takes on Yadah FC at Rufaro Stadium in a league match following the cup setback at the weekend.
FC Platinum face a tough Yadah, who have already claimed the scalp of another title contender, Chicken Inn.
Fixtures
Today: Bulawayo City v Tsholotsho (Barbourfields), ZPC Kariba v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Nyamhunga), Yadah v FC Platinum (Rufaro), How Mine v Triangle (Luveve), Caps United v Chicken Inn (Rufaro 7pm), Hwange v Black Rhinos (Colliery). Tomorrow: Shabanie Mine v Dynamos (Maglas), Harare City v Chapungu (Rufaro), Highlanders v Bantu Rovers (Barbourfields). All matches kick off at 3pm unless stated otherwise.
