DYNAMOS coach Tonderai Ndiraya has expressed a desire to prolong his stay at DeMbare to complete his team-rebuilding exercise and catapult the club to the top spot in local football.
His contract with the club expires at the end of the year after joining them in 2019.
The former Dynamos midfielder had what looks a decent campaign in his full second season with the club after the 2020 season was washed away by COVID-19, but there is a section of supporters which believes his third-place finish in the league race is not convincing enough and wants him out.
The club’s executive, which is set to meet in the coming weeks to discuss the coach’s future, is also reportedly divided, with chairman Isiah Mupfurutsa and his vice Moses Shumba said to be willing to give him another chance while the other members are against the idea.
When asked about his future following the 1-1 draw against Caps United in the final league match on Sunday at the National Sports Stadium, Ndiraya said he is hopeful that his contract will be extended.
He believes another stint at the helm will ensure the stability required to bring the league title back to the former champions.
“Unfortunately, I can’t employ myself. What I can say is my contract is ending on December 31, so it’s up to those who employ to extend the contract or not. What I can only do as an employee is to wish that the contract be renewed if you consider what the team has done this season,” Ndiraya told NewsDay Sport.
Dynamos started the season well and were just a point behind the leading team at the halfway stage of the season, but they were plagued by inconsistent form in the second half of the season, allowing FC Platinum to snatch the title.
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However, Ndiraya remains happy with the team’s performance and is convinced they are in the right direction.
He is determined to build on the team’s show by adding new players especially in the attacking department which he said was their weakest link.
Ghanaian Emmanuel Paga, who joined the club at the start of the season, finished as the top goalscorer. His headed equaliser against Caps United was only his tenth goal of the season.
“I’m happy for what the players have done this season. I’m happy for Emmanuel Paga for getting into double figures in terms of goal scoring. It’s his first season with us and he is a foreigner. He adjusted quickly, and of course we would have wanted more. But it really sums up our season. We were not clinical in front of goal and that cost us some matches.”
He also praised his defenders who conceded only 17 goals, the second best behind FC Platinum who let in 14 goals.
“We never lost by more than two goals which is something we can take home and try to build on. We can take that home and try to work on the weaker areas and if the team is going to be kept together and add some few faces, then it’s going to be a team to beat next season. We have all seen the areas that need reinforcements and if that is done, I’m pretty sure that we can be a very competitive side.
“It was an exciting season with lots of different things but in the end we had to finish third and proud of what the boys have done. I’m also really proud of what the supporters did (today), they came in, although the numbers were not so pleasing but they came to support the team.
“It is also our appeal to the authorities to make sure that Rufaro Stadium is renovated so that the team goes back home. The team belongs to Mbare and we are confident that if we go back there we can have larger crowds than we were getting here which can push the team to do better.”
