Brett nears DeMbare return

By Godknows Matarutse

Dynamos coach Lloyd Mutasa hopes his side can quickly conclude their negotiations that will see FC Platinum’s want-away midfielder Brett Amidu return to Harare to play for the Glamour Boys in the second half of the season.

DeMbare are struggling for creativity in central midfield which has seen them fail to build on the second place finish they managed last season.

At the moment, the Glamour Boys are in 10th place on the Castle Lager Premiership log table with 22 points from 19 matches.

Mutasa’s side now trail defending champions and log leaders FC Platinum by a staggering 23 points with their hopes of winning the title virtually over.

At the start of the season, DeMbare had signed Raphael Manuvire from ZPC Kariba hoping that he would fill the number 10 role perfectly.

Manuvire, however, struggled with adapting to the Glamour Boys’ playing style and asked for a transfer last month. The former Douglas Warriors and Harare City midfielder is now expected to return to ZPC Kariba.

In pre-season, 20-year-old Kudzanayi Dhemere showed flashes of brilliance in the attacking midfield role but failed to carry the same form into the new season.

Dhemere no longer has a place in the starting XI with Mutasa opting to use Gift Saunyama behind the strikers.

It is the Glamour Boys’ hope that they can be able to convince FC Platinum to release the talented Amidu, who has failed to command a place in coach Norman Mapeza’s starting XI.

The Aces Youth Soccer Academy graduate was last on the books of the Glamour Boys in the 2016 season before moving to Zvishavane at the start of last year.

After initially struggling for game time, Amidu, the young brother of former Kaizer Chiefs forward Abbas, worked his way into Mapeza’s team.

Amidu was mainly used as a second half impact substitute as Pure Platinum Play stormed to their maiden domestic title.

However, this season Amidu has found the going tough in Zvishavane with Never Tigere now the occupying that role as the team’s impact player from the bench.

Speaking following his side’s 2-2 draw with Shabanie Mine at Maglas Stadium on Sunday, Mutasa revealed that they are desperate to lure Amidu back to Harare.

“As a coach you always give proposals to the management and it so happens that he (Amidu) is the kind of boy we would want to have in our team if FC Platinum are eager to release him; he is very much in our plans,” Mutasa said.

“I’m sure the management is playing their part and probably it won’t be a surprise if he joins us this week.

“I think we have very few places in terms of wanting to sign new players during this mid-season transfer window. We might have one or two new players just to add because the majority of players we have currently are under contract.”

In the event Amidu retraces his footsteps back to DeMbare, it will be a welcome boost in the Glamour Boy’s quest to finish the season strongly.

Against Shabanie on Sunday, DeMbare had to come from behind on both occasions with Blessing Moyo and Obey Mwerahari cancelling out Nigel Papias’s two goals for the home side.

DeMbare’s last win at Maglas came way back in 2006 and they have now gone for eight visits without a victory at this venue.

Mutasa believes his players wasted a good chance of ending their Maglas jinx due to poor defending.

“We conceded two goals which were very soft, there are certain things you don’t have control over and when the playing field is not even and you are trailing, it becomes difficult but we are a accustomed to it,” bemoaned Mutasa.

“We wanted to get three points but we ended up getting one. It wasn’t good enough for us considering we were coming from behind. The youngsters tried their best but they could not get that much needed winner.

“We thought this was going to be our opportunity but in the end you just have to accept reality and take the point home.

“But just like any other coach we would have loved to get maximum points.”

With their title challenge highly unlikely, Mutasa wants his players to continue showing the same fighting spirit.

After a disastrous start to this season which even saw Mutasa being sacked after 10 games before a spectacular comeback, DeMbare are now unbeaten in their last four games — two wins and two draws.

“We need continue to take it each game at a time and see how it goes. We only need to remain focused going forward,” Mutasa said.

“The reality is that we want to collect as much points as possible; we will probably go back to the drawing board and see where we are getting it all wrong.” DailyNews