Dynamos title push will depend on home form

By Robson Sharuko

DYNAMOS’ bid to defend their Castle Lager Premiership crown will largely depend on how the Glamour Boys will perform, under pressure, before their home fans given that eight of their remaining 11 league matches are all set for Rufaro.

Leaders Highlanders, unbeaten all season so far, will play six of their remaining 11 games at Barbourfields with five outside Bulawayo, including three in Harare against DeMbare, Monomotapa and Blue Rangers.

Dark horses Monomotapa have a golden chance of repeating their championship winning success story of 2008 if they can turn the capital into their fortress as 10 of their remaining 11 matches are all in the capital.

Only one game, against Chicken Inn, will provide Monoz with a date outside the capital.

Highlanders are the only team, among the leading trio, who will have to travel for two away matches, against both Monomotapa and Dynamos, in Harare in matches that are likely to have a huge impact on the destiny of the championship race.

Champions DeMbare are unbeaten outside the capital in this campaign, a sharp contrast to last season when they won only once out of Harare, in the decisive penultimate match against FC Platinum at Mandava, which swung the pendulum in their favour.

None of the Glamour Boys scored a league goal, outside Harare, in their successful championship adventure last year, with their only goal, in the 1-0 victory over FC Platinum, coming via an own goal by defender Daniel Vheremu.

Already, this season, Callisto Pasuwa’s men have beaten Buffaloes, Quelaton, FC Platinum and drawn against Highlanders and Shabanie, the only time they failed to score outside the capital, picking 11 out of a possible 15 points on the road.

Dynamos have lost twice, to Monomotapa and Harare City, with both teams needing a last-gasp goal for the priceless victory, and both defeats have come at Rufaro against teams coached by men who used to be part of the Glamour Boys’ system.

Monoz were under the guidance of Taurai Mangwiro, a former DeMbare winger, when they grabbed their winning goal in time added on by Tawanda Nyamandwe on April 14 this year while Harare City were led by former DeMbare man Bigboy Mawiwi when they won 1-0 at Rufaro on June 20.

Substitute Quinton Matsika scored in time added on for the victory.

Dynamos have won five times, in the first half of the season, against 10 of the teams they are still to meet in the remainder of their campaign, with their 4-2 victory over Hwange nullified and now the subject of boardroom decisions.

The Glamour Boys have drawn three times, against Bosso, Shabanie and Motor Action, while losing the two games against Harare City and Monomotapa.

But for Dynamos to be champions again, they will have to win most, if not all, of the eight matches they will play at Rufaro starting with Gunners tomorrow, Harare City (away), Motor Action, Shabanie, Highlanders, Black Mambas (away), Monoz (away) and Buffaloes.

Given that the only two times they have lost at Rufarot needed a stoppage time goal and were games where a former DeMbare man was pulling the strings for the opposition, the Glamour Boys should be bullish of doing even better and probably winning all their remaining eight games, in the stadium they call home.

The three confirmed games outside Harare are against Hardbody at Ascot, Chicken Inn in Bulawayo and Hwange at the Colliery and, depending on the rulings from the boardrooms, DeMbare and Chipangano might also play at a neutral venue.

Highlanders have impressed even the neutrals with the way they have suddenly awakened from the slumber and, looking for their first league title since 2006, they are unbeaten in 19 league matches.

They have played as potential champions, battling for a point even on their off day, and Kelvin Kaindu has given them a discipline that has helped turn them into a very solid unit.

But this is the business end of the programme, where the men are separated from the boys, and Bosso’s challenge is those two tough matches in the capital against their nearest challengers for the title — Dynamos and Monomotapa.

But having already beaten CAPS United in the capital and held Motor Action to a draw, Bosso should also be bullish about their chances and, after all, for them to be champions, they simply have to beat the best.

They have six games at Barbourfields for their fans to push them on starting with the one against Motor Action tomorrow, Chicken Inn (away), Shabanie, Black Mambas, Buffaloes and FC Platinum.

In the capital they will also take on lightweights Blue Rangers.

Of the 11 teams that remain on their radar, Bosso have beaten seven of those sides in the first half of the season, which should give them the psychological edge, and then drawing four.

Crucially, they are yet to lose against any of these teams, scoring 23 goals and conceding just seven, and picking 25 out of a possible 33 points in the head-to-head clashes against them.

Bosso, just like Dynamos, face that awkward trip to the Colliery where points can certainly be dropped and where, as Monomotapa will tell them, you can easily lose it after the Harare side conceded five, in a losing cause, on their visit there in the first half of the league campaign.

Monoz have been playing some of the most exciting football, in recent weeks, and their 3-0 demolition of FC Platinum at Mandava, in a game in which Russell Madamombe was outstanding, was the stuff of teams that can win championships.

Monoz owner, Solomon Mugavazi, won’t have to spend sleepless nights now trying to tackle the transport bills for his team’s trips outside the capital as they only have an outstanding trip to Bulawayo remaining.

With 10 of their 11 games all in the capital, starting with the tie against Shabanie, Monoz have a right to dream and, if they look back, they will realise that they beat five of the 11 opponents who stand in their way, including DeMbare, drew two and lost four.

A date against a CAPS United team that could be fighting to stay in the top-flight league remains a potential banana skin.

The championship race is likely to be decided between Week 24 and Week 26 with a number of key matches lined up for that period.

In Week 24, Dynamos will host Shabanie, favoured to win that game at Rufaro, while Monoz also host Highlanders in Harare with the two teams facing the possibility of either canceling each other out.

The following week, Monoz have that tough game against CAPS United, Dynamos will have all to battle against in Hwange and Highlanders will be favoured to beat Mambas at Barbourfields. Then, in Week 26, Dynamos and Highlanders will battle each other at Rufaro with Monoz taking on Mambas. The Herald

It’s an open contest, but there will be one winner.

Week 20: Monoz vs Shabanie, Dynamos v Gunners, Highlanders v Motor Action

Week 21: Harare City v Dynamos, Rangers v Monoz, Chicken Inn v Highlanders

Week 22: Monoz v Hwange, Highlanders v Shabanie, Dynamos v Motor Action

Week 23: Chicken Inn v Dynamos, Quelaton v Monoz, Hwange v Highlanders

Week 24: Dynamos v Shabanie, Monoz v Highlanders

Week 25: CAPS v Monoz, Hwange v Dynamos, Highlanders v Mambas

Week 26: Monoz v Mambas,Dynamos v Highlanders

Week 27: Mambas v Dynamos, Gunners v Monoz, Highlanders v Buffaloes

Week 28: Monoz v Dynamos, Hardbody v Highlanders

Week 29: Dynamos v Buffaloes, Highlanders v FC Platinum, Harare City v Monoz

Week 30: Rangers v Highlanders, Monoz v Buffaloes, Hardbody v Dynamos