Mukamba goes AWOL, again

By The Standard | Oct. 27, 2017 | 3 Min read

DYNAMOS midfielder Denver Mukamba has again gone Awol (absent without official leave), and could miss his team’s trip to Ngezi Platinum Stars for a must-win Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match.

BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA

Mukamba — one of the key players at the Glamour Boys, but who has dominated the headlines for the wrong reasons in recent times — skipped training on Wednesday and yesterday, as the Glamour Boys prepared for what could be a season-defining match at the Baobab Stadium in Mhondoro tomorrow.

Defender, Lincoln Zvasiya also failed to show up for training on Wednesday, but was back yesterday ahead of the trip, which could shape the destiny of the championship.

This is the second time this season Mukamba has missed training without communicating with coaches after going Awol while in camp with the Warriors early this year.

Dynamos coach, Lloyd Mutasa refused to talk about the duo’s misdemeanours, preferring to deal with the issue after the match to avoid distractions.

“We have tried to get hold of him (Mukamba) up to this day. This is the second day he has been absent from training without official leave. But we can only talk about those players, who are in camp and have been training. We can discuss these issues after the match because we don’t want this to distract us from the bigger picture. Of course, you would want to choose from the whole lot, but these are some of the things that happen in life. Zvasiya came today and trained with the rest of the team,” Mutasa said.

This is not the first time the midfielder has made the headlines for the wrong reasons. Last season he was part of the team’s crew accused of abusing drugs.

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Early this season, he allegedly insulted Mutasa in front of his teammates during a training session.

The coach has on all occasions forgiven the player.

Turning to tomorrow’s match, Mutasa said although his team respected Ngezi Platinum, who have an unbeaten home record, Dynamos had a history of breaking records.

“We have prepared well and are looking forward to the match. It’s not going to be easy, but we are going to give it our best shot to get a good result. From our assessment, they can be beaten even at home. Dynamos are known for breaking records and I have got youngsters, who I trust and they can go all the way and deliver a good result,” he said.

The Glamour Boys will still be without vice-captain, Obey Mwerahari, who is recovering after aggravating an injury against ZPC Kariba.

Dynamos are second on the log with 58 points, one behind leaders FC Platinum, while Ngezi Platinum are third with 57 points. Chicken Inn are breathing down the leading trio’s necks in fourth with 55 points.

The Glamour Boys go into the match on the back of a dispiriting 1-1 home draw against lowly Tsholotsho and will be looking to collect maximum points to keep momentum, with just five matches remaining in the season.

When the two sides met in the reverse fixture, the match produced a five-goal thriller, with Dynamos emerging 3-2 victors. Tonderai Ndiraya’s men will be seeking revenge, particularly after dropping two crucial points in their last league match against Chapungu last week. Ndiraya acknowledges there is no room for another slip-up.

Ngezi Platinum, on the other had, are fretting over the fitness of skipper Partson Jaure and Clive Augusto despite the players having joined training during the week. The pair was expected to pass late fitness tests ahead of the big clash.

Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Match Day 30 fixtures

Today: Harare City v FC Platinum (Rufaro)

Tomorrow: Bulawayo City v Chapungu (Barbourfields), Yadah v How Mine (Rufaro), Ngezi Platinum v Dynamos (Baobab, 2pm), ZPC Kariba v Chicken Inn (Nyamhunga)

Sunday: Tsholotsho v Bantu Rovers (Dulivhadzimo), Shabanie Mine v Triangle United (Maglas), Highlanders v Black Rhinos (Barbourfields), Caps United v Hwange (National Sports Stadium)