After defeating Harare City 1 – 0 at Rufaro Stadium yesterday, coupled with a favourable goalless draw between rivals Highlanders and Chicken Inn, Dynamos Football Club will now feel firmly in control of the destiny of the Castle Lager Premiership Championship, and fancy themselves to retain the crown. However, so different are the drivers of the DeMbare train this season from those of 2011 that they may be forgiven for not feeling like THE Defending champions. Aside from Denver Mukamba and to a certain extent Captain Guthrie Zhokinyu, the movers and shakers at DeMbare this season are players who either graduated from the junior ranks or totally new recruits who joined the team this season. While last season was the toast of the likes of eventual league top scorer Roderick Mutuma, then Captain Cuthbert Malajila, his predecessor George Magariro, 2011 Soccer Star of the Year Washington Arubi and veteran Murape Murape, there has been a completely new set of master strokers this season, to support the exploits of Mukamba, the only constant. While Malajila and Arubi understandably left the club for SA, and perhaps on current form would still walk into the current DeMbare first 11, one wonders what hit the likes of Mutuma and Magariro.
We make a brief analysis of how the new boys have made a mark to DeMbare latest campaign to be kings of local football:
Takesure Chinyama
While the likes of Caps United and FC Platinum where making big moves in the transfer market, DeMbare where judging by their size, rather quiet. However, the capture of Chinyama was by far one of the highest profile recruits in the PSL at the beginning of the season. The 2009/10 Polish Premier League top scorer lived up to his billing, firing warning shots in preseason friendlies and announcing his arrival with a goal in the season opening Charity shield match vs Motor Action. He quickly established himself as the leading light at DeMbare and with goals at both the domestic and African Champions League front. He grabbed two crucial goals in a 2 -2 away draw against Liga Maculmana of Mozambique following a hat trick on the opening day of the season against newcomers Hardbody. Despite his injury problems and leaving DeMbare before the halfway point of the season for SA’s Orlando Pirates, Chinyama’s is still on the league’s 3rd top goal scorers with 9 goals.
Farai Mupasiri
Chinyama’s departure for SA, which coincided with the exit of goalkeeper Washington Arubi well was seen by many as a fatal blow to DeMbare’s title ambitions, given that Chinyama was by then the only reliable goal getter in DeMbare’s ranks. Little did many know that young Farai Mupasiri was readying himself to fit the shoes of the gingantic forward. Coach Kalisto Pasuwa chose a soft landing for his new found gem, introducing him in a rather easy game against struggling Blue Rangers, and the youngster, together with Tichaona Mabvura, starred in a 6 – 0 demolition. Mupasiri scored as early as 2 minutes into his debut. Many still did not read much into the youngster’s performance, given the nature of opposition. He then chose one of the toughest fixtures on the local scene to register his pedigree, grabbing the winner in a 2 -1 win at Mandava against FC Platinum. He followed this up with another star performance and goal in the Harare derby against Caps United. Mupasiri had taken over!
Partson Jaure
Like Mupasiri, Jaure is a product of the DeMbare Junior development program. He was loaned to first division side La Liga last season and came back a ready-made veteran. While he might have benefitted from the absence of Zhokinyu at the start of the season, the fact the coaching staff chose to dislodge one of Dynamos’ outstanding players last season George Magariro, to let the young man partner Zhokinyu at the heart of the defence is no mean feat for Yellow. His efforts haven’t gone unnoticed, earning himself a call up to the Warriors within his first season of premiership football.
George Chigova
With someone like Washington Arubi in the same team, not many top class goalkeepers can wait around for their breakthroughs. Perhaps Chigova felt the Arubi’s deep yearning for a move down south that he stayed in the shadows, and when the opportunity came, he grabbed it with both hands. Like Chinyama’s departure, Arubi’s exit was declared by many to be a crisis in waiting for DeMbare, but Chigova has proved it all wrong. His entrance onto the stage was also grand, saving a penalty from Highlanders’ Mthulisi Maphosa at Babourfields in his first full game for DeMbare. Every Dynamos glove-man would wish for such a herculean act. In the last 7 games he has featured for Dynamos, he has only let in 3 goals, contributing heavily to the side’s impressive defensive record.
Ocean Mushure
Had it not been for the scorcher of a goal he scored against Harare City, we could have easily overlooked Mushure from this list. But a closer analysis will tell you that the ex-Motor Action left back has been a sea of calm and brought a measure of stability to the left side of the DeMbare rear-guard, which looked suspect at times as Augustine Mbara failed to stamp his authority last season. Mushure has been very reliable and has been useful with his free kicks and crosses. He has finally underlined his usefulness with what could possibly be a crucial goal at the end of the season, especially taking into account the results from B/F on the same day.
DeMbare recently signed on young Simba Sithole, formerly of Shooting Stars, Caps United and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns. Will the seeming “newboy”s luck also help him make an instant impression in the blue and white? He arrives at a crucial time, when the home run is clearly laid out. There is little doubt in Sithole’s pedigree, never mind his failure to break into Sundowns team. Due to its huge following, settling at Dynamos has been a mountain climb to many a newcomer. One would remember the likes of Francis Chandida, Tawanda Nyamandwe, Maxwell Dube amongst others, who arrived at DeMbare as polished gems, but never actually shone as expected in the blue and white. One wonders if the 2012 newcomers have found what it takes to succeed in your first season at DeMbare.
We make a brief analysis of how the new boys have made a mark to DeMbare latest campaign to be kings of local football:
While the likes of Caps United and FC Platinum where making big moves in the transfer market, DeMbare where judging by their size, rather quiet. However, the capture of Chinyama was by far one of the highest profile recruits in the PSL at the beginning of the season. The 2009/10 Polish Premier League top scorer lived up to his billing, firing warning shots in preseason friendlies and announcing his arrival with a goal in the season opening Charity shield match vs Motor Action. He quickly established himself as the leading light at DeMbare and with goals at both the domestic and African Champions League front. He grabbed two crucial goals in a 2 -2 away draw against Liga Maculmana of Mozambique following a hat trick on the opening day of the season against newcomers Hardbody. Despite his injury problems and leaving DeMbare before the halfway point of the season for SA’s Orlando Pirates, Chinyama’s is still on the league’s 3rd top goal scorers with 9 goals.
Farai Mupasiri
Partson Jaure
George Chigova
Ocean Mushure
DeMbare recently signed on young Simba Sithole, formerly of Shooting Stars, Caps United and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns. Will the seeming “newboy”s luck also help him make an instant impression in the blue and white? He arrives at a crucial time, when the home run is clearly laid out. There is little doubt in Sithole’s pedigree, never mind his failure to break into Sundowns team. Due to its huge following, settling at Dynamos has been a mountain climb to many a newcomer. One would remember the likes of Francis Chandida, Tawanda Nyamandwe, Maxwell Dube amongst others, who arrived at DeMbare as polished gems, but never actually shone as expected in the blue and white. One wonders if the 2012 newcomers have found what it takes to succeed in your first season at DeMbare.
