DYNAMOS have received a major boost with the return to full fitness of goalkeeper Prince Tafiremutsa and midfielder Tanaka "Kante" Shandirwa as they look for a happy homecoming victory over Caps United at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
The big Harare derby marks the return of Premier Soccer League football to the capital in months.
Following the closure of the National Sports Stadium for renovations, Dynamos had adopted Barbourfields Stadium for their home matches while six other Harare-based teams, including Caps United, moved to other cities across the country.
Dynamos coach Genesis Mangombe said he was looking to give the club's supporters a happy return to the capital by beating their main town rival this weekend, a result that can help them keep pace with title rivals.
“It's always good to play at home. We were playing our home matches in Bulawayo which is far away from home. People in Harare have waited a long time to see their team and the type of football we are now playing. We will try our best to make sure that everyone is happy on Sunday,” Mangombe said during his pre-match Press conference yesterday.
“We have been doing well in Bulawayo and we should thank the fans there. We will really miss them.”
Dynamos' chances to win the match have received a huge boost with the return to full fitness of Kante and first-choice goalkeeper Tafiremutsa.
Kante, in particular, was severely missed in the team's 2-1 defeat to Bulawayo Chiefs last week, their first defeat in five matches.
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Mangombe, whose side dropped to fifth on the log after last week's defeat to Chiefs, hinted he would throw the duo straight back into the first eleven against the struggling Green Machine.
Donald Dzvinyai is still out but has started light training.
Mangombe has called on his players to show resilience against Caps United, a game that could potentially define their season.
“In a derby, one needs to have character as always. Everyone is looking forward to this game, so it has a lot of pressure. It means a player needs to have a lot of character to do well, as well as try to minimize mistakes. These kinds of games are rarely high-scoring matches, so one mistake could be punished and decide the game. We will need to have maximum concentration throughout to make sure we don't concede silly goals.”
Mangombe was happy with how the team has performed since taking over from the fired Herbert Maruwa where he has managed three wins, one draw and last week's surprise loss to Chiefs.
He has been rewarded for those performances after he was yesterday named Warriors assistant coach where he will assist Beltimar Brito of Highlanders.
“We have tried to reduce the gap on the top teams and it is working. We want to return to winning ways, and winning against Caps United will be a big boost for the boys."
DeMbare are facing a limping Caps United side who are winless in eight matches.
Makepekepe won one match in their last 13 matches as they continue to slide dangerously down the log standings.
Failure to pick maximum points in this one could see the Green Machine further dragged into the relegation matrix.
Matchday 24 fixtures
Tomorrow: GreenFuel v Simba Stars (GreenFuel Arena), Fc Platinum v Herentals (Mandava), Chicken Inn v Triangle (Luveve), Yadah v Bulawayo Chiefs (Baobab), Zpc Kariba (Nyamhunga), Sheasham v Cranborne (Bata)
Sunday: Black Rhinos v Manica Diamonds (Bata), Hwange v Highlanders (Colliery), Dynamos v Caps United (National Sports Stadium).
