DYNAMOS welcome back Sydney Linyama into the squad as the defending Premier Soccer League champions seek to bounce back from their humiliating defeat at the weekend with a trip to Lloyd Mutasa’s Whawha at Ascot Stadium this afternoon.
BY HENRY MHARA
The David Mandigora-coached side were handed a crushing 3-nil hiding by Chicken Inn on Sunday, with observers suggesting the lanky defender’s absence might have been main cause of them conceding as many goals.
Linyama, who was down with flu, had played all of the team’s previous six matches where the champions conceded just one goal in an unbeaten streak.
Elisha Muroiwa held fort in Linyama’s absence, but it was fellow central defender and captain Augustine Mbara who looked the most affected by the changes at the back.
He had a nightmarish afternoon and was at fault for two of the three goals.
DeMbare assistant coach Tonderai Ndiraya yesterday confirmed that Linyama had fully recovered and was part of the final squad that made the trip to Gweru. But of equal concern for the Dynamos technical bench is the striking department which continues to fire blanks.
Mbara and his fellow defenders got most of the flak for the Chicken Inn defeat, but the forwards were equally culpable as they missed a number of good chances. Of the six strikers registered with the team this season, only Simba Nhivi and Dominic Chungwa have scored a goal each. The team has scored a total of seven goals in seven games, an average of a goal a match.
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Mandigora is not amused at such a low return and is now looking at re-signing striker Takesure Chinyama when the June transfer window opens. Chinyama is a free agent and could sign with a club of his choice anytime, but a move to Dynamos is only feasible next month.
DeMbare will be facing their former coach Mutasa for the third time since he left the club in 2011.
After he was forced out of the Harare giants, Mutasa joined FC Platinum in the 2013 season and had successes against his former club winning 2-0 in his first meeting before losing 1-0 in the reverse fixture.
Whawha has been struggling since gaining promotion promotion, winning one and lost four including 6-0 battering at the hands of How Mine last week.
Dynamos will be looking at this match as a good chance to bounce back and keep pace with the leaders.
Meanwhile, Caps United host winless Hwange at Gwanzura Stadium this afternoon.
The match had initially been advertised for the National Sports Stadium but the hosts yesterday announced that they have moved the match to Highfields. The two teams are coming into the match in contrasting forms.
Caps recorded a huge morale boosting 1-0 at Highlanders at the weekend while Hwange were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Dongo, their fifth for the season.
The other two matches ended in defeats and together with Dongo and Buffaloes, they are the only teams so far yet to record wins in the league.
Today’s fixtures Whawha v Dynamos (Ascot), Caps United v Hwange (Gwanzura)
