CLASH OF THE TITANS
. . . Maruwa rallies Glamour Boys
DYNAMOS coach Herbert “Jompano” Maruwa has challenged his charges to rise to the occasion when they face Highlanders in a re- arranged Castle Lager Premier Soccer League tie at Barbourfields tomorrow.
The two giants were supposed to meet in the first instalment of the Battle of Zimbabwe last month but the fixture was shelved to pave way for the Independence Trophy final contested between them in Mt Darwin on April 18.
Bosso won the Uhuru Cup match in a penalty lottery after the game had ended goalless in regulation time despite the Bulawayo giants playing with 10 man for most of the game following the first half expulsion of defender Andrew Mbeba.
And Maruwa has a chance to avenge that loss and put the Glamour Boys’ league campaign back on track.
DeMbare have been struggling for consistency in the league and they are currently on a run of three draws.
They have failed to score in any of those matches against Cranborne Bullets, Triangle and Manica Diamonds.
And with pressure mounting on Maruwa and his technical team, the match against Highlanders is likely to have an impact on his future at the helm of the Glamour Boys.
But this crop of Dynamos has shown they can rise to the occasion when facing the big teams like they did against CAPS United in the Harare Derby last month.
Going into that match, Dynamos were on a run of three win- less games but once on the pitch against Makepekepe, they put on a polished performance and condemned the Green Machine to a 2- 0 defeat.
Makepekepe were yet to taste defeat before that match and there is a general belief in the Dynamos camp that they can also become the first team to beat Highlanders this season.
Bosso are yet to lose a match in nine outings this term.
“We have not been doing really well in the past three or so weeks especially in front of goal.
“The team has been playing some decent football but the cutting edge isn’t there.
“We need to do more as a team, we need to do more as a group to achieve what we have to achieve,” said Maruwa.
“Defensively, we have been fantastic but we need to be more creative and bring that final pass.
“We need to have the killer pass as a team. It doesn’t really matter who scores, we just need to score goals whether one is a striker or defender, the goals will be for the team.
“We are not treating the match against Highlanders as a special fixture. It’s a normal game, one of those other games if you ask me. But we cannot take away the fact that Highlanders is a big team. They are also doing very well in the league.
“They have already beat us in the Independence Trophy final and all that should motivate us to want to do more”.
Maruwa said his players should put maximum concentration against a Bosso team which is yet to taste defeat this season.
“We are going all out for a win. We know Barbourfields is a tough venue especially playing against Highlanders but all that doesn’t really matter at the end of the day.
“We are fully aware of what this fixture means for us as a team.
“We need to bag those points; we need to rise up to the occasion as we did against CAPS United last month.
“Save for our captain ( Frank Makarati who is injured), everyone is available for selection. I am really encouraged by the competitive spirit my charges are displaying at the training ground. Everyone is eager to play a part in this match against Bosso. We are calling upon our fans to come in their numbers to rally behind the team in Bulawayo”.
Meanwhile, Herentals coach Kumbirai Mutiwekuziva has rallied his players to dust up from their defeat against Yadah last week and put in the work in their match day 11 tie against Hwange at the National Sports Stadium tomorrow.
The Students lost 1- 0 to their fiercest rivals Yadah on Friday last week.
“I have been talking to my players all week. We need to be at our best against Hwange,” said Mutiwekuziva.
“We have gone for some games without a win and I think we need to start winning. Hwange is a tricky team but we are playing at home and we need that win”.