DeMbare break jinx

By Godknows Matarutse

Dynamos put behind their Castle Lager Premiership struggles by earning a place in the Chibuku Super Cup quarter-finals following a hard-fought victory over battling Bulawayo Chiefs here yesterday.

Tawanda Macheke scored the all-important goal for the Glamour Boys right on the hour mark after heading home a pin-point cross from Phakhamani Dube.

The goal ensured Lloyd Mutasa’s charges progressed to the last eight of the competition, something they had failed to do in the past two years.

Although they will go into the quarter-final draw, Dynamos once again put in an uninspiring show.

Instead it was Bulawayo Chiefs who left the venue cursing their luck after doing everything only to stutter in front of goal.

For larger parts of the game, the Glamour Boys were left to chase shadows by an enterprising Chiefs side that was denied twice by the posts.

On the other hand, DeMbare struggled to even complete five successive passes forcing coach Lloyd Mutasa to make a first half change by removing midfielder Blessing Moyo for Marvelous Mukumba.

In the league, DeMbare are just two points above the relegation zone and this game was a clear indication why they are struggling.

But in the end all that matters for Mutasa, whose side came into the match at the back of three straight league defeats, was the win they rarely deserved.

“I think for a cup game, you just need to score and get to the next round. I think we cannot ask for much from the boys, we wanted to break the jinx,” he said.

“For the past two seasons we were eliminated in the first round, so we say thank you to the boys.

“It’s always difficult when you are under such a bad spell; losing three matches on the trot obviously the confidence goes down and we just pray and hope that this victory sends a signal to the boys that we can do it.”

Bulawayo Chiefs coach Garthly Chipuka was left to reflect on the positives picked from the match.

“Basically, we did not take the chances that we got. We got a lot a lot of chances but we failed to convert them and that’s how we lost it. They scored and we did not,” Chipuka said.

“We always try to take the positives. The fact that we could shoot, the fact that we created chances; it’s a positive to me.

“The fact that they could get into scoring positions is a positive sign to me.

“It means less work for me going forward. We wanted to win but this is the result that we got and we have to accept it.”

Teams:

Dynamos: Simbarashe Chinani, Phakhamani Dube, Ocean Mushure, Marshal Machazane, Godfrey Mukambi, Blessing Moyo (Marvellous Mukumba 41 min), Kudzanayi Dhemere, Denver Mukamba, Cleopas Kapupurika, Tawanda Macheke, Bret Amidu

Bulawayo Chiefs: David Bizabani, Shadreck Nyahwa, Moses Majika, Malvin Mkolo, Andrew Tandi, Takunda Muzuva, Gracious Mleya, Farau Matare, Stanely Ngala, Perfect Chikwende, Sikhumbulani Dube. Daily News.