Dynamos, Black Rhinos draw

Sport
Dyamos coach Kalisto Pasuwa yesterday admitted his team’s chances of retaining title were getting thin after his side drew with Rhinos at Rimuka Stadium.

DYNAMOS coach Kalisto Pasuwa yesterday admitted his team’s chances of retaining the title were getting thin after his side failed to close the gap on log leaders Harare City when held to a frustrating draw by a stubborn Black Rhinos on a bumpy Rimuka Stadium in Kadoma yesterday.

HENRY MHARA IN KADOMA Black Rhinos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 Dynamos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0

The draw, their ninth of the season, left the league champions five points behind pacesetters City who beat FC Platinum 2-0 on Saturday.

Even worse for the Harare giants was surrendering their second spot on the log to Highlanders who won their match against Hwange yesterday.

“Its getting tough now,” conceded Pasuwa in his post-match analysis yesterday. “The gap is opening up, but we need to soldier on until the end. If we have to win the championship, we should start winning matches outside Harare,” he added.

Rhinos coach Arthur Tutani welcomed the point despite his team’s position in the relegation zone. “I’m very happy and proud of the boys because they played according to instructions and managed to force a draw against Dynamos who have won the championship consecutively. We worked on the defence the whole week and they did their job well,” Tutani said.

Pasuwa bemoaned the uneven state of the pitch, but said his team should have still managed to collect maximum points. “Some of the pitches we are forced to play on are not good and it affects our type of play, but the players should also show that they are champions and win on such pitches,” Pasuwa added.

Without his regular strikers Washington Pakamisa and Clive Kawinga through injury, Pasuwa started the match with Allan Tavarwisa and Farai Mupasiri upfront and while the two showed some energy with their runs, they never really threatened the Rhinos defence.

The two combined to create the first chance of the match as early as the second minute, but Mupasiri reacted slowly to his partner’s flick-on.

Dynamos, who trained at Raylton Sports Club this week to try and “acclimatise” to the bumpy pitch of Rimuka, continued to create chances against a home side who were content in absorbing pressure.

Mupasiri had the ball in the back of the net on 11 minutes after getting to the end of a Tawanda Muparati through pass, but the flag was up for an offside.

On the other end, Rhinos striker Brighton Mugoni was making a nuisance of himself and his ball through on 13th minute found Brian Muzondiwa who fell under the challenge of Sydney Linyama, and with the home side expecting a penalty, the referee booked the striker for simulation.

The next real chance fell to the troublesome Mugoni on 17 minutes, but his free header went wide and minutes later his striking partner Muzondiwa escaped on the right side after a swift counter move, but he blasted his shot high and wide.

Dynamos almost went ahead with five minutes remaining before half-time when Russell Madamombe’s free-kick clipped the top of the bar after taking a slightest of touches from the outstretched keeper and Tavarwisa’s free header from the resultant kick was parried away, as the visitors finished the half the better side.

No changes were made at the break and Dynamos would start as they finished, pressing their opponents. Patson Jaure playing as a right-back, galloped forward, but his firm shot hit the side netting.

However, the best chance of the game came on 70th minute when Mupasiri ran clear and released a snap shot, but the Rhinos keeper Herbert Rusawo somehow managed to block the effort.

Frustration was beginning to show on the Dynamos team against a Rhinos side who were now employing delaying tactics and Pasuwa pulled out Cliff Sekete for Murape Murape to add bite upfront, but a goal couldn’t just come.

With time ticking away, Dynamos got a free-kick in a good position and goalkeeper George Chigova took responsibility, but his effort was deflected by the wall.

The big goalkeeper, however, almost caught his opposite number off position a minute later when his free-kick from his half was going in, but the back-peddling Rusawo somehow managed to scoop it out and substitute Tichaona Mabvura skied the rebound. That proved to be the last real chance. Teams: Black Rhinos: H Rusawo, J Mukombese, B Homora, S Jimu, M Kurewa (B Chandisaita 87’), T Muchacha, B Muzondiwa, C Zimbawu, W Kapinda, B Mugoni, W Masenda. Dynamos: G Chigova, Bello, S Linyama, P Jaure, A Mbara, T Magorimbo, R Madamombe (T Mabvura 87’), C Sekete (Murape 70’), T Muparati, F Mupasiri, A Tavarwisa (B Bogere, 72’)