BLUE BRIGADE … DeMbare youth shine again
By Eddie Chikamhi
Dynamos coach Lloyd Mutasa reckons new blood is the future of football after his youngsters sprung another surprise yesterday by beating traditional rivals Highlanders in the final of the Commander ZNA Charities soccer tournament at the National Sports Stadium.
In-form midfielder Kudzanai Dhemere, who was also voted man-of-the-match, was on target again yesterday when he weighed in with DeMbare’s second goal after Highlanders’ skipper Honest Moyo had beaten his goalkeeper in an attempt to clear the lines.
Adrian Silla pulled one back for Bosso in the 78th minute.
The win was sweet music for Mutasa whose young side also edged bitter rivals CAPS United 1-0 in the semi-final last weekend with Dhemere scoring the only goal of the match.
But with a little bit of luck, Bosso yesterday could have equalised in time added on only for Ozias Zibande’s effort to be denied by the foot of the upright after DeMbare had suffered a defensive paralysis later in the game.
Mutasa and his opposite number Madinda Ndlovu, who has also embarked on a project to “revive the Highlanders culture”, were both impressed by their largely youthful outfits.
Dynamos coach Mutasa, who was forced to field young players after all the senior players went on strike last week, had the courage to throw into the fray the same unchanged team and they did not disappoint.
And from the performance by both teams, it appears to buttress Mutasa and Ndlovu’s strong belief that the future of Premiership football is in the youth.
“I think it’s something positive for the institution,” said Mutasa.
“These are youngsters coming up within our system. We will have a bright future if these youngsters can be nurtured well and given more game-time. I am sure they needed this before we commence the PSL league championship.”
A number of DeMbare senior players watched the match from the sidelines with Obey Mwerahari, Marvelous Mukumba and Valentine Ndaba making second half appearances.
Mutasa said it was pleasing that the second string players were pushing to the limit and did not rule out the chance that some of them will make the first team when the season starts next month.
“I think it’s all about how you execute your duties at the training ground that enables you to play. We have got an array of good players within our ranks and I think they will be (some stiff) competition. The more they impress at training the better their chances to play,” said Mutasa.
The match yesterday swung from one end to the other but the finishing was not clinical from both ends.
Bosso had the first crack at goal as early as the second minute after Godfrey Makaruse had dispossessed Godfrey Mukambi inside the box but the Bosso forward blasted his shot over from an angle.
But DeMbare were not to be outdone as they also barged into the Bosso half with their own forays only for Tawanda Macheke and Valentine Kadonzvo to send their efforts wide.
There were some careless errors in-between from both sides but Bosso learnt the hard way in the 50th minute when goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda spilled a low shot into the path of Tawanda Macheke who managed to square the ball across the face of goal.
And Moyo under pressure from DeMbare players, who were charging for the same ball, could only bundle his clearance into his own goal.
DeMbare increased their lead eight minutes later when Dhemere found space through the middle and expertly slotted the ball past the advancing goalkeeper.
Highlanders refused to bury their heads in the sand as they pushed to cancel out DeMbare’s double lead. There were rewarded later in the second half when Silla’s shot took a defection and beat the keeper Blessing Mwandimutsira after he was beaten by Gabriel Nyoni’s high ball which came off the upright.
And as DeMbare were still at sixes and sevens, Silla fired the ball home.
With DeMbare struggling to soak the pressure, the Harare giants continued to concede free-kicks from dangerous areas near their box. Moyo’s strike from one of the set-pieces went just over the bar with just 10 minutes remaining.
Bosso continued to push for the equaliser and another free-kick in injury time was met by Zibande at the back post but DeMbare had the woodwork to thank.
Despite the defeat, Highlanders coach Ndlovu said he was impressed by his project to bring back Bosso culture of playing entertaining football.
“Look, it’s just the beginning of the project that we have embarked on as a club. I think for me the project is actually going in line with our plans. As a point of correction, we are not rebuilding Highlanders Football Club.
“I wouldn’t have asked for anything more than this. It’s just that lady luck was not on our side today. Maybe we could have equalised in the last minute.
“I think the boys matched Dynamos in all areas but in a game of football one team has to win and the other has to lose.
“Unfortunately it was us on the losing side today but for me with this project I am happy with what the boys showed me. The put a very brave fight and I think from here onwards we will build from what we saw today.
“We are only trying to bring back the culture of Highlanders, the type of football that entertain our supporters at large. So we are trying to bring the culture back to the Highlanders family. But what we saw today, as we all witnessed, the project is in the right tracks,” said Ndlovu. The Herald
Teams
Highlanders: A Sibanda, C. Simangaloma, H. Moyo, M. Phiri, A Silla, N Sianchali, B Musaka, G. Makaruse (O. Zibande, 56th min), P. Muduhwa, N. Makumbe (T. Lunga, 76th min), G. Nyoni.
Dynamos: B. Mwandimutsira, B. Moyo, R. Matova, G. Mukambi, M. Machazane, J. Marufu, K. Dhemere, T. Makuwatsine (V. Ndaba, 58th min), V. Kadonzvo (M. Mukumba, 46th min), T. Macheke, C. Kapupurika (O. Mwerahari, 82nd min)
