DYNAMOS have encountered real problems at this early stage of the season, and finishing is definitely one of them.
In a campaign characterised by an array of things gone wrong, injuries to key players including skipper Frank Makarati and Tanaka Shandirwa, referee calls not going their way in some instances and a cat and mouse relationship between the club bosses and coach Genesis Mangombe: Little wonder it has been a slow start to their new campaign.
The league title chasing side has scored just eight goals in their opening 10 games of the season, only better than six other competitors in the league. Three of the teams with fewer goals than Dynamos are Hwange, Chegutu Pirates and Arenel Movers, sides that currently occupy the bottom three places on the log table.
The Harare giants' leading goal scorer is Emmanuel Paga who has netted three goals.
Ahead of their match against Herentals at Rufaro Stadium tomorrow, Mangombe said he is worried about his players' inability to convert into goals the numerous chances they create.
He cited last week’s match against Chicken Inn as a good example, when they completely dominated the game and created a handful of chances which they wasted, resulting in a nil-all draw.
It was the same story when they faced Simba Bhora three weeks ago in a game they also completely dominated and created the better chances. They paid dearly for their inefficiency when Walter Musona netted a smash and grab winner.
"I'm happy with the way we are creating chances, but not happy with our finishing," Mangombe said.
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"Against Chicken Inn, we dominated and created plenty of chances. Putting the ball into the back of the net still remains a problem. This week, we have been training on our finishing, and hopefully, we will see an improvement against Herentals."
The former Yadah coach is worried about the potential threat posed by bogey side Herentals.
Previous clashes between the two city rivals have been fought tightly, and Mangombe believes it will be no different this time around.
"When we play against Herentals, they give it their all, always. They treat this as a proper derby, they always want to win this match. It's not just Herentals alone, every player is motivated when they face Dynamos. At the same time they want to prove that they are good players. We are prepared for that. We need to be mentally sharp because we know they (Herentals) will do everything in order to beat us," Mangombe said.
Dynamos welcome back into the team vice captain Emmanuel Jalai who missed the trip to Bulawayo due to suspension.
The bad news is that Frank Makarati and Tanaka Shandirwa, who also missed last week's game due to injuries, are yet to recover. Winger Issa Sadiki has been added on to the injury list.
Mangombe is desperate to win against Herentals for two significant reasons. First, to keep pace with the leading teams, and secondly, cement his position as the head of the technical team.
Mangombe's performance is reviewed after every five games, thus the Herentals game is a start of a new cycle of the matches. DeMbare currently lie in 12th position on the log standings with 11 points, eight behind log leaders Highlanders.
Mangombe's could however, be awarded three points from their abandoned match against Chegutu Pirates.
Herentals have also had a horrible start too, and last week's 1-0 win over Yadah was only their second victory in nine matches. Crucially, the victory moved them out of the relegation zone into 14th position with 10 points.
Matchday 11 fixtures
Today: GreenFuel v Zpc Kariba (GreenFuel), Yadah v Caps United (Rufaro), Bulawayo Chiefs v Chicken Inn (Luveve), Simba Bhora v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Wadzanai).
Tomorrow: Manica Diamonds v Bikita Minerals (Sakubva), Highlanders v Fc Platinum (Barbourfields), Hwange v Arenel Movers (Colliery), Dynamos v Herentals (Rufaro), TelOne v Chegutu Pirates (Bata).
