DeMbare's second half blues:

DeMbare's repeated failure to find another gear, after the break is haunting them

Even in the gloom of a possible failed league championship campaign, with the two platinum sides now in the driving seat, Llyod Mutasa is getting a lot of praise for the way he has built his Glamour Boys from scratch at the beginning of the year and transformed them into a side capable of challenging for the league title this season but some feel this title was there for the taking if their coach had not been found wanting

DYNAMOS’ spectacular collapse in the Battle of Baobab on Saturday has left the Glamour Boys’ quest for the league championship in tatters and, in the event they fail to be crowned champions this year, they should not view the events in Ngezi in isolation but as part of a pattern that destroyed their campaign.

There are some who rightly shower coach Lloyd Mutasa with praise for the way he has assembled this team from scratch, in a season in which the Glamour Boys were even forced to endure the humiliation of conducting some trials as they looked for fresh talent, and transformed them into a side that still retains hope for the title at this very late stage.

Many of them, including Warriors team manager Wellington Mpandare, who also doubles up as a consultant at Premiership side Yadah Stars, feel Mutasa has already exceeded expectations this season by taking his men this far in the campaign for honour where they still remain in the race for the championship with four games to go.

This group have been pointing to the lack of quality in this DeMbare side, which has a number of very average players, for the reason to shower Mutasa with credit for the way he has turned such a collection into possible winners of the league championship.

The Glamour Boys don’t have their fate in their hands anymore but, with the two leading sides, FC Platinum and Ngezi Platinum, set to clash in a match where they could cancel each other out with a draw, a window of hope remains open for the country’s biggest and most successful football club to sneak in and become champions.

Ngezi Platinum took charge of the championship race after their impressive 2-0 win over DeMbare in the Battle of Baobab on Saturday as the Mhondoro miners propelled themselves into pole position by virtue of a superior goal difference over FC Platinum.

Interestingly, while there are many who now believe Ngezi Platinum will go on and become the first club, from outside Harare and Bulawayo, to be crowned champions in more than half-a-century, a formula worked out by a local football pundit exactly a month ago, which suggested FC Platinum will be champions, is taking shape.

Spencer Manguwa, a Dynamos and Liverpool-supporting Harare business executive who has done some football punditry for ZTV, predicted that FC Platinum will end the season with 72 points and two clear of their nearest rivals Dynamos.

With four matches still to play, and 12 points at stake, FC Platinum can still get to 72 points if they win all their remaining matches but, crucially, everything that Manguwa predicted would happen, in terms of their results, has so far come true with Manguwa saying:

l I believe the Zvishavane miners will beat Highlanders away from home (which came to pass as they won 2-1), beat Shabanie at home (which also came to pass as they won 2-0), draw against Harare City away from home (which came to pass as they drew goalless last week).

l Beat ZPC Kariba at Maglas, beat Tsholotsho away from home, beat Ngezi Platinum at home and also beat Chapungu away from home in their final match.

l The six wins and one draw should power FC Platinum to 72 points and, finally, in my humble analysis, they will be crowned champions.’’

Should DeMbare fail, as now appears likely, they will have to look at the way they failed to move into second gear, after the break in many matches, as the reason for their downfall.

Mutasa agreed on Monday night, in a live phone interview on the ZTV football magazine show, Game Plan, that there are concerns about how his players have reacted after the break since they beat Yadah Stars 2-0 at Rufaro two months ago, they have not scored a goal in the second half in nine matches over a period of 718 minutes.

The last second half goal came from Christian Epoupa Ntouba in that match against the Miracle Boys.

SECOND HALF BLUES

Number of Second Halves LOST —

SEVEN

Number of Second Halves WON — 12

Number of Second Halves DRAWN — 17 (one game against Highlanders abandoned in first half)

Number of games team SCORED in Second Half — 13, including an own goal by Ray Uchena of Harare City)

Number of games team FAILED to score in Second Half — 15

Failed to score in the Second Half in TWO games against FC Platinum; Shabanie Mine; Harare City and Black Rhinos while