By Tadious Manyepo
Dynamos assistant coach Murape Murape has hit out at some of his players, sensationally claiming that they are deliberately under-performing, stifling efforts by the Glamour Boys’ coaching staff to steer the team to move away from the drop zone.
The struggling giants are occupying the last relegation slot, having accumulated 31 points with six matches before the season ends.
DeMbare have performed dismally and they have collected a paltry two points in their last five matches where they have failed to score.
That pathetic run claimed the scalp of Lloyd Mutasa, who has since been sacrificed along with his assistants Joseph Takaringofa and Zondai Nyaungwa, who paved the way for Lloyd Chigowe and Murape.
Despite Mutasa being sacked, the losing script continued, with the pair’s first match in charge ending in a 0-2 defeat to leaders FC Platinum.
Their championship winning captain Murape, however, believes there is more to the under-performance of his team this year than meets the eye.
Murape questioned some of the players’ loyalty to the Dynamos cause.
“Look at some of the players we have at our disposal, most of them are not totally committed to the Dynamos cause, so it becomes difficult for any coach to work with such kind of players.
“The level of indiscipline sometimes is shocking. Most of these players do not know what it means to play for Dynamos,’’ Murape said.
Former captain Ocean Mushure and midfielder Panashe Mutasa are AWOL, while Denver Mukamba, who has also battled disciplinary demons all year, resurfaced at the team’s training session only two days ago after he had disappeared from the radar for almost a week.
Murape suspects that some of the underperformers in the side could probably be sympathetic to the sacked Mutasa as their behaviour was not encouraging.
“Some of these players are not able to appreciate the changes in terms of coaches. They are not able to cope with the philosophies, so we need to work extra hard to change all that. There is a certain way which we want them to move and we have been trying to instil that unto them, but you find that there is resistance in some of the players, so it’s a big challenge to us as coaches.
“But we are convinced that those who are really committed to the Dynamos cause will help pull the team out of the situation we are in. Those are some of the problems which we have as we head for the final decisive stretch of the marathon,’’ Murape said.
He said if players wanted to remain at Dynamos, they should toe the coaches’ line and show that they are prepared to fight for the badge.
“We don’t have to beg the players to be committed to the team’s cause. It’s up to those players, they have to show a good work ethic because at Dynamos it’s not about Murape or any individual, and it’s about all the stakeholders.
“It’s supposed to be these players who should bail us out of this quagmire. So it’s up to them to commit themselves and give extra effort. This is Dynamos, a reputable institution and it’s a privilege to play for the institution, so one has to prove why they are part of the squad.
“I believe when the team is winning, losers will not be seen, but when are losing, that is when the winners should stand up.”
With the team facing rivals CAPS United in the fierce Harare Derby tomorrow, Murape who has been involved in many of such battles as a player, said Dynamos needed to pull up if they are to come out victorious.
If DeMbare win in this outstanding fixture, they will climb four places up the ladder, effectively putting their destiny in their own hands. The Herald.
