Big Baobab Battle….DeMbare search for first goal at Ngezi

Denver Mukamba

HARARE giants Dynamos will be looking to avoid their longest run without scoring a goal when they visit Baobab Stadium for a date with Ngezi Platinum Stars this afternoon.

Dynamos conclude a run of three tough matches out of eight against the top three teams in which they have already dropped four points in two goalless draws against Manica Diamonds and Highlanders.

Of concern is the fact that the Glamour Boys, who began the season as one of the favourites to win the league title this year, have now gone four matches without a goal; playing four consecutive nil all draws.

And if they fail to score against Ngezi Platinum today, at a venue where they have never scored in the league in five visits since the platinum boys were promoted to the premiership, they will equal a record of five matches without a goal which they set back in 2018.

Already, this is the fourth time in seven years that Dynamos have had a run of four matches without a goal.

This is inspite of the fact that the club invested heavily on strikers bringing in some of the top scorers from last season such as Eli Ilunga, Jayden Bakari and Nyasha Chintuli.

After the match against Highlanders on Thursday, Dynamos coach Herbert Maruwa insisted, as he did after the two previous games, that the goals would eventually come.

“Goals will come but the good thing is that we are not conceding.

"We need maybe just one game, but goals will come. We need to keep on working with the guys and try to push them hard to convert the chances that we are getting, but the goals will definitely come,” he said.

Dynamos have fired blanks in six of their 10 matches thus far and have only scored nine goals as they sit in sixth place with 15 points.

In September 2018, Dembare went for five matches without a goal in a dreadful run that began with a 3–0 loss to rivals Highlanders in Bulawayo.

The team went on to play a goalless draw with Chapungu before they lost 1–0 against Harare City and followed it up with another nil-nil draw with Bulawayo Chiefs.

Dynamos lost 2–0 to FC Platinum in the fifth game and only ended the goal drought with a 2–1 victory over CAPS United in October.

Of interest is the fact that Dynamos played four consecutive goalless draws in 2016 against two teams, How Mine and ZPC Kariba at the halfway stage of the season.

Last season, Dynamos also failed to score against Yadah FC (1 – 0), Triangle (0–0), Cranborne Bullets (1–0) and FC Platinum (0–0) in June and July.

Maruwa and his charges will be hoping to finally end the run at Baobab.

But Baobab has never offered them anything in terms of goals since Ngezi Platinum was promoted into the top-flight league in 2016.

Dynamos have also failed to beat Ngezi Platinum in the last seven league meetings between the two teams. The Glamour Boys are still in search of their first victory in Mhondoro Ngezi.

Second placed Ngezi Platinum have been one of the most exciting teams this season and have been scoring goals for fun.

Last week they lost for the first time in this campaign and will be looking to bounce back to winning ways.

Coach Takesure Chiragwi is excited to be facing a traditional giant in local football.

"It's quite interesting to play these so-called big clubs in the league, but it's good because it motivates us. We also want to grow and become big like them. What is important is to do well and make sure we compete at the same level," he said.

"The players are geared up for the match and want to make sure to win. They can't lose games consecutively, but we are happy with how they responded at training,” Chiragwi added.

Fixtures

Tomorrow: CAPS United v Simba Bhora (National Sports Stadium), Triangle United v Sheasham (Gibbo), Highlanders v GreenFuel (Barbourfields), Ngezi Platinum Stars v Dynamos (Baobab).

Tomorrow: ZPC Kariba v Chicken Inn (National Sports Stadium)

Related Topics