DYNAMOS captain Frank Makarati is concerned that his team's lack of potency could once again cost them the title this season.
Last year, the Harare giants looked well on course to end their eight-year title drought, but their league challenge ultimately faltered due to lack of goals.
The Harare giants have fired blanks in their last three matches in all competitions, even failing to score against a 10-man Highlanders side in the Independence Cup final played in Mt Darwin last Tuesday. They eventually lost the game on penalties.
"We have done well so far, except for our conversion rate, which we have to improve," Makarati said.
"We need to score goals, no doubt about that. In as much as we are solid at the back, matches and titles are won by scoring goals. We had one of the best defensive records last season, but we all know what happened in the end," he added.
DeMbare's goal column shows five strikes so far this season, but their players only scored three of those, including a penalty converted by Makarati in the 4-0 rout of promoted side Sheasham. The other two goals in that match were own goals.
The picture is perfect at the other end of the pitch with Dynamos having the best defence in the league this far. They are yet to concede a goal in the five competitive matches that they have played in the current campaign.
Makarati believes it demonstrates they have the basis of a solid team, but the inability to find the back of the net could ultimately cost them the season.
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"If we can score goals then we are guaranteed to win games because defensively we are very good. We have to utilise the chances that we create. I'm challenging all the players in the squad to score goals.
"We have spoken about it as a group. We have been open to each other, so hopefully starting (today) goals will come," Makarati said.
In a bid to end their goalscoring woes, the Dynamos hierarchy, so determined to win the league this season, again raided the market to sign a number of 'proven strikers' in the mold of Eli Ilunga, Jayden Barake and Nyasha Chintuli, to add on to Tinashe Makanda and Emmanuel Paga, who were retained from last season.
But the new forwards have not had the desired impact for the side either, as they are yet to score a single goal among them this season.
Paga has been deployed as DeMbare's first choice target man, but the Ghanaian is yet to fully convince in that position. The club's top goal scorer last season with 10 goals, has scored just once this far.
Makarati is confident that the chronic goal shortage is about to end in this afternoon's league clash against Bulawayo Chiefs at the National Sports Stadium.
The defender, who missed the Uhuru final match against Highlanders due to an injury, has fully recovered, and so has winger Issa Sadiki who was not involved in the team's last two matches.
However, crowd puller Denver Mukamba and midfield dynamo Donald Mudadi will have to pass late fitness tests to take part in the match.
For a team desperate not only to get back to winning ways but to score goals, a struggling and porous Bulawayo Chiefs side could offer DeMbare a respite.
The Bulawayo side are winless this season, and have conceded six goals from their opening five league matches. They have drawn three and lost twice.
But despite the slow start to their campaign, coach Lizwe Sweswe has warned Dynamos not to take his side lightly.
"With all due respect to Dynamos, my message to them is, never think the Amakhosi Boys will be pushovers. We are coming to fight and get maximum points. We need that win because it will give confidence to the boys going forward,” he said.
