Dynamos coach Tonderai Ndiraya has warned his players not to take Harare City lightly despite their recent struggles ahead of the two team’s clash in a league match at the National Sports Stadium in Harare tomorrow.
The two teams sit at two opposing ends of the table with Dynamos fighting for the championship, while City are slowly drowning in the relegation murky waters.
Given City’s current state where they have gone winless in the last four matches, second-placed Dynamos are expected to claim maximum points.
But Ndiraya is taking nothing for granted and has warned that the 16th-placed Sunshine Boys are capable of causing an upset.
“We are aware of the danger posed by the team we are playing against,” Ndiraya said.
“Results have not been coming their way but we know what they can do as a team. They are coached by a very good coach and they have been playing good football of late despite the results they have been getting. We know what they can bring to the table and that is what we have been preparing with in our minds."
Dynamos are four points behind leaders FC Platinum on the log standings with 46 points, but could find themselves further back if the log leaders beat Manica Diamonds at home this afternoon.
“We want to keep pushing, keep getting results and hopefully we can get a good result on Sunday. It is our hope that the team can play well and get a result that we need so that we can keep pace with the team at the top. It’s always difficult to play after your rivals have played especially if they win, it turns to put some bit of pressure on you because of the expectations that will be there from the fans and other stakeholders to win. It is our hope that we can handle that pressure on Sunday and get a good result for the institution,” Ndiraya added.
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The Harare giants will be without Shadreck Nyahwa, who is still out due to injury and is joined on the sidelines by second choice goalkeeper Prince Tafiremutsa.
Posterboy Bill Antonio has left to join Belgium’s topflight side Kv Mechelen.
Big striker Alex Orotomal, who missed the team’s trip to ZPC Kariba last week with a muscle problem, has recovered and is back in the squad.
City coach Tawurayi Mangwiro is worried about the position of his team on the standings but is confident that he can rescue it from relegation.
“I have seen in the past few weeks the team sinking deeper but I’m not one to despair as a coach,” Mangwiro said.
City have 23 points, three ahead of the team sitting at the basement of the log table.
“I have never taken charge of a team that has gotten relegated, so that is where I get a lot of encouragement from.”
The worst positions that Mangwiro has attained during his illustrious coaching career is a ninth place finish, at Monomotapa and Triangle.
“That’s how good my teams have been such that I want to look at our current position as a temporary setback. If anything, we look forward to finishing the season on a high, on a higher position which is more respectable from where we find ourselves in.”
Dynamos won the reverse fixture 2-nil, played at the end of March.
Since then, City have played 16 league matches, winning just two.
Meanwhile, the Harare derby between Caps United and Herentals set for today remains in doubt.
The Green Machine players for the umpteenth time have gone on strike over non-payment of their salaries and have vowed not to play until the money has reflected in their bank accounts.
Premier Soccer League Matchday 26 fixtures
Today: Cranborne Bullets v Whawha (Vengere), Chicken Inn v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Luveve), Caps United v Herentals (National Sports Stadium), FC Platinum v Manica Diamonds (Mandava)
Tomorrow: Tenax v ZPC Kariba (Vengere), Bulawayo Chiefs v Black Rhinos (Luveve), Triangle v Bulawayo City (Gibbo), Dynamos v Harare City (National Sports Stadium)
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