Mutasa resigns to life without Epoupa

By Eddie Chikamhi

Dynamos coach Lloyd Mutasa has challenged his strikers to step up their game and fill the void that has been created by the stand-off between the club’s leaders and their Cameroonian import Joel Christian Epoupa.

The Glamour Boys host Yadah Stars on Sunday without the lethal forward whose relationship with the club has apparently broken down after a payment row.

Epoupa has been pushing for release from the club since last week and DeMbare coach Mutasa yesterday said they now want other strikers to come to the party.

Dynamos have only managed three goals in five games and Mutasa has turned to his forwards Quality Kangadze, Tawanda Macheke, Valentine Kadonzvo and Cleopas Kapupurika to up their socks.

“You look at a scenario whereby you always think that probably today or tomorrow we will have Epoupa in blue-and-white colours,’’ he said.

“Then you look at the current situation whereby it looks like it’s done and dusted, that probably the young man has decided to call it a day.

“Now, as a family, we are bracing ourselves for life without him and when you know that you don’t have such a person, then you have to look elsewhere.

“We have got the likes of Quality Kangadze and Kuda Kumwala and I think they should step into his shoes and do duty for us.”

Epoupa was DeMbare’s top goal scorer last season with 12 to his name.

However, he has not featured for the Glamour Boys this season and his absence has coincided with the misfiring of the team.

Dynamos have not scored a goal in four of the five matches they have played since the start of the season and Mutasa, who has since resigned to the reality of losing his Cameroonian goal-scoring machine, has been working hard with the Plan B.

“From the few matches that we have had, you could count that in every game we created at least two or three good chances and had we converted those we could have won or drawn some of those matches.

“So that’s an area that we have been working on and I am sure we will be able to score goals this weekend and come out victorious.”

There were also positive news in the Glamour Boys camp, with the return of winger Emmanuel Mandiranga from injury.

Wingback Peace Makaha has also started full training after recovering from an ankle injury.

“Peace started training with us this week and is showing good signs, the same as Emmanuel. But Emmanuel we are using him here and there and he will start full training next week.

‘’I think we are good to go. I think we have done much in our preparations for the match against Yadah.

“We are in the mood and we are ready to roll and I am sure we should be able to start picking up maximum points from what we have been seeing at training,” said Mutasa.

DeMbare beat Yadah Stars back-to-back last season.

Ironically, their first leg win was the catalyst they needed to revitalise their campaign.

Fixtures

Today

Black Rhinos v Chapungu (Rufaro)

Tomorrow

Mutare City v Bulawayo Chiefs (Vengere), FC Platinum v Harare City (Mandava), Herentals v Bulawayo City (Rufaro), Nichrut v ZPC Kariba (Ascot)

Sunday

Triangle United v CAPS United (Gibbo), Shabanie Mine v Ngezi Platinum (Maglas), Chicken Inn v Highlanders (Barbourfields), Dynamos v Yadah (Rufaro). The Herald