BY HENRY MHARA
DYNAMOS and Triangle have made a remarkable turnaround to their season and their clash at Rufaro Stadium this afternoon is sure to throw up an interesting match between two sides showing some good season form.
The Harare giants had a terrible start to their season which saw coach Lloyd Chigowe sacrificed for Tonderai Ndiraya, who has done well so far in the rescue mission.
For Triangle, all looked relatively well at the start of the season, but a terrible loss of form in May saw the team losing four straight matches and coach Taurai Mangwiro’s job appeared to be on the line. Not anymore.
A look at the numbers shows that the two teams’ match is the top clash of the weekend fixtures, although, the clash at Mandava Stadium this afternoon between defending champions FC Platinum and 2016 champions Caps United, on paper, is the pick of the day’s fixtures.
The decision by the DeMbare executive to fire Chigowe has led to a dramatic revival of the team, which has moved to seventh on the log standings and within striking distance of the title chasers.
They sat in the relegation zone when the eccentric Chigowe was in charge.
After collecting just three points from a possible 12 when Chigowe was in charge, Ndiraya has managed 20 from a possible 32. While Chigowe lost three of the four matches that he was in charge, Ndiraya has lost just two from 12.
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Dynamos are unbeaten in their last four matches, and another win in this match could see them moving into the top four on the log standings. They have been particularly strong playing at Rufaro since Ndiraya took over.
DeMbare are unbeaten on their favourite home field in the period under the new coach, winning four and drawing four.
Ndiraya’s men have scored at least a goal in all their last four matches, and they will be hoping that the absence of their two key strikers again this weekend will not derail the team’s goal scoring momentum.
Evans Katema is unavailable for this match as he is on national duty with the Warriors who play Mauritius at Barbourfields in Bulawayo in a African Nations Championship qualifier match tomorrow. Skipper Edward Sadomba is still out. The club’s manager Richard Chihoro said the striker has not recovered from the head injury that has kept him out of the last two matches.
Triangle’s form speaks for itself. They are the best performing team at the moment having not lost a match since their 2-1 defeat to Harare City on May 18.
Since then, they have won four and drawn three to move away from the relegation zone and back into the title contention.
The importance of today’s match though, could lie elsewhere for the Lowveld side. Besides the points, Triangle will need to win the match to boost their confidence ahead of their maiden appearance in the Caf Confederations competition. Triangle host Rukinzo of Burundi on Sunday next week in the competition’s preliminary round first leg tie, and travel to Bujumbura for the reverse fixture the following week.
But before they can think about that, they have to do battle with Dynamos today in a clash of two clubs that are currently enjoying a feel good factor in their camps.
Fixtures
Today: Herentals v Bulawayo Chiefs (NSS), ZPC Kariba v Hwange (Nyamhunga), Dynamos v Triangle United (Rufaro), Ngezi Platinum Stars v Harare City (Baobab), FC Platinum v Caps United (Mandava), Manica Diamonds v Black Rhinos (Vengere)
Wednesday: Highlanders v Chapungu (Barbourfields), TelOne v Chicken Inn (TBA)
