DYNAMOS will be without three of their regular players, including captain Ocean Mushure, for their crunch mid-week Premier Soccer League game against Tsholotsho at the National Sports Stadium, while striker Christian Ntouba is doubtful for the clash.
BY HENRY MHARA/ TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
The log leaders host the struggling Beitbridge side tomorrow, in desperate need to collect maximum points and keep their top position.
A loss could see the Harare giants sliding down to third position, with five matches remaining.
Team manager Richard Chihoro yesterday admitted that they are desperate to win their next match, especially after drawing against ZPC Kariba on Saturday, a result that saw their lead at the top cut to one point by Ngezi Platinum Stars and FC Platinum.
They will have to do without their influential skipper Mushure, who has failed to recover from the injury that kept him out of the trip to Kariba at the weekend.
Chihoro said Mushure had started training, but tomorrow’s match had come a bit too early for the versatile player.
Obey Mwerahari hobbled off the ZPC Kariba match with a knee injury on his return from another injury and has been ruled out of the next match.
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Midfielder Cleopas Kapupurika is suspended after picking up three yellow cards, while Ntouba picked an injury in their last match. Chihoro said while Ntouba completed the match, he was struggling with the injury.
“Mushure is still down with a knee problem and has been ruled out and so has Mwerahari. He picked a knee injury and will not take part in this match. Kapupurika picked a third yellow card so is suspended for the next match.
“Ntouba was pushed into the fence and injured his fingers. He is in pain and from the assessment we had, he is a doubt for the match. What is more worrying for us is he continues to be harassed and fouled by opposition players who target him and he is not getting protection from the referees. He was blatantly pushed and the referee didn’t even blow his whistle for a foul,” Chihoro said.
“We registered 30 players at the start of the season and we have won matches without some of the regular players, so we will do with what we have. We have confidence in all the players in the squad to do the job. We have reached a stage in the season where everyone should stand and be counted.”
Dynamos have 57 points, one better than Ngezi Platinum and FC Platinum, while fourth-placed Chicken Inn are on 51 points.
Dynamos coach Lloyd Mutasa said the title race was shaping up.
“The same teams that have been at the top are the same teams that are competing for the title. I think it’s open to any of these teams, especially the top three. Unless there is a slump in form by these teams, the fourth team (Chicken Inn) could be one of the claimants to the title. On our part, we are taking each game as it come, after we drew against ZPC Kariba. We now need to refocus on our next six matches starting with Tsholotsho. We need to try and collect all points,” Mutasa.
Dynamos will be looking to win the championship for the first time since 2014 when they lifted it over four successive seasons under Kalisto Pasuwa.
They had a sluggish start to the campaign as Mutasa embarked on a rebuilding exercise after the team lost several key players. However, his charges are now the team to beat in this championship race.
