DYNAMOS supporters are a hard lot to please.
The same supporters, who extolled the team last week following the Derby win over CAPS United, were singing a different tune yesterday.
A big section of the Blue Army was left seething in anger after the Glamour Boys dropped points at home in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match against Triangle at the National Sports Stadium.
Hordes of DeMbare supporters temporarily barricaded the team’s main exit point from the ground, as they broke into protest songs to vent their frustrations at coach Herbert “Jompano” Maruwa for sitting their favourite player Denver Mukamba on the bench their entire 90 minutes.
The fans, however, didn’t exactly blame Maruwa for the draw.
He is still a darling somehow, given how he managed to conjure up a 2-0 victory over CAPS United in the Harare Derby last week.
But they were clearly not happy that Mukamba, the player who they believe in so much that every time he plays, no matter the result, he is splashed with cash, was not thrown into the fray yesterday.
After seeing the 2012 Soccer Star of the Year spending the whole afternoon on the bench, the supporters felt the Dynamos technical team, led by Maruwa decided to sabotage not only the player but the fans themselves.
They even defied an order, issued last week by their representative association, which prohibited them from giving any individual player money.
In that statement, Dynamos Supporters Association secretary general Jane Mushininga directed all supporters to stop rewarding individuals saying the practice had the potential to divide the team. She said the fans need to be systematic if they wanted to reward the players with cash.
“It has come to our attention that the ‘Sunday offering” we give to players after matches in the stadium have the potential to cause divisions in the camp and bring the brand and name of our sponsor into disrepute,” read the statement.
“Acknowledgement of good performance by our players is good from us supporters but we can use other means behind the scenes and not in stadia. We can organise our marshals to be at the team bus after the match with boxes which supporters can drop their offerings.
“Thereafter the money can be counted and shared to all players. We promise to support the team without causing discontent in the camp as well as protecting the name of our principal sponsor.”
However, this statement was shredded by the fans who sang protest songs against the directive and the technical team for not playing Mukamba yesterday.
They gave their hero lots of cash in both local and United States denominations.
For Dynamos fans, Mukamba represents much more than just a footballer at the institution.
He is a role model and an influencer given he is the only remnant of the last crop of Dynamos to deliver a league title.
He is a lucky charm, who is gifted anyway, that makes Dynamos tick.
They wanted to see him in action yesterday.
And one wonders what could have happened had he been introduced into the fray.
Dynamos struggled all afternoon and with their wingers Tendai Matindife and Keith Madera failing to stamp their authority, the Glamour Boys looked very ordinary.
The evergreen Donald Mudadi showed some glimpses but he had no one to compliment his efforts with the energetic Tanaka Shandirwa full of running but struggling to complete clean passes the whole afternoon.
Left back Elvis Moyo came close to getting DeMbare’s opener with a powerful freekick that missed the target by inches after 32 minutes.Two minutes later, Matindife forced a reflexive save from Triangle goalkeeper Matripples Muleya from a freekick at the edge of the box.
At the other end, Wolson Mensah skied his effort from inside the box after execellently controlling a heavy pass from the right flank.
Mudadi was denied by Muleya two minutes after the restart and from that moment, it was Triangle all over their opponents.
The Lowveld side which played a controlled game would probably feel they deserved more than just a point from this match.
But they have no one to blame but themselves as substitute Wellington Taderera fluffed two golden opportunities to take the full points towards the end.
Maruwa welcomed the point.
“I think it’s a fair result. Triangle played very well. They are a very organised team. They have managed to hold Chicken Inn and FC Platinum before our match.
“We wanted an early goal but we failed to get one,” said Maruwa.
“I thought we failed to penetrate from the wings. Triangle managed to close down our wingers, Matindife (Tendai) and Keith (Madera).
“We only got to get some scoring chances when we introduced Eli Ilunga and Nyasha Chintuli.
“I think it’s still early days. Yesterday (Saturday), FC Platinum dropped points and today (yesterday) Highlanders also dropped points.
“We just need to keep on fighting. It’s very positive we also managed to keep another clean sheet.”
Dynamos have six clean sheets in seven games.
Triangle coach Thulani Sibanda hailed his charges’ spirit.
“I think it’s a point gained if you look at how Dynamos dominated. We struggled a bit in the first half. They played well between the lines but in the second half we came up with a strategy to manage them. We introduced ball players,” said Sibanda.
“I thought they (Dynamos) struggled each time we had the ball. I think getting a point away from home, at the National Sports Stadium against Dynamos is a good thing.
“If they come to Gibbo, I don’t think it will be easy for them so getting this point for us is an advantage”.
Dynamos remained fourth on the log standings with 12 points to their name while Triangle are ninth with 11 points.
Teams
Dynamos
Taimon Mvula, Elvis Moyo, Kevin Moyo, Tendai Matindife(Arthur Musiyiwa 64min), Keith Madera(Brendon Mpofu 64min), Frank Makarati, Emmanuel Jalai, Junior Makunike, Jayden Bakare (Elie Ilunga 64min), Donald Mudadi (Nyasha Chintuli 75min), Tanaka Shandirwa
Triangle
Matripples Muleya, Jameson Mukombwe, Carlos Musimwa, Eriya Mafirenyika, Ariel Makopa, Enock Karembo, Tinashe Kabanda, Norbert Zingo (Wellington Taderera 60min), Joe Nyabinde (Brian Ngwenya 59min) Wilson Mensah, Never Rauzhi (Farai Mugumwa 84min)
Source: bulawayo24
In other news- Outcry over school fees hike
Schools open today for the second term with parents and guardians raising concerns over sharp increases in fees amid economic turmoil.
The unaffordable fees demanded by schools follow revelations by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) that the rate of children dropping out of school over economic difficulties was rising. Learn more
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