Events of October 13 2013 will always haunt Dynamos and will certainly have a bearing in this afternoon’s NetOne One Wallet Cup semi-final clash against How Mine at Mandava.
BY MICHAEL MADYIRA
On that day last year, the then Premier Soccer League (PSL) debutants How Mine performed a giant killing act by dumping DeMbare out of the prestigious Mbada Diamonds Cup at the quarter-final stage, denying them a chance to win it three consecutive times to keep one of the biggest trophies in Zimbabwe in their cabinet forever.
More impressively, How Mine carved a reputation for themselves as party spoilers when they staged the coup at Rufaro to dethrone the Glamour Boys who had won the first two editions of the lucrative Cup. Today, the Bulawayo side are again threatening an upset in Dynamos’ bid for the inaugural One Wallet Cup.
Making the threat a serious one is new How Mine coach Luke Masomere who was the chief mastermind of DeMbare’s exit from another top-eight competition, the BancABC Sup8r Cup while at Shabanie Mine.
Masomere has however been diplomatic about the Mandava confrontation which would be his first game in charge of the gold miners.
“Like what I have always been saying, I am building a team for next season,” said Masomere.
“I am lucky that I am building that team while playing competitive games against teams like Dynamos. We are in serious business. Yes, I beat Dynamos with Shabanie Mine in a Cup game but this is now How Mine and history is not part of the present performance of the team. I cannot say much about my side since I have been there just for a few days.
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“For me to say we are going to do ABC, that is premature. But I am impressed by the attitude of my players. There is a big gap from where we started on Tuesday and the shape I saw on Friday. I was especially working on the mental aspect and I can see a lot of change.”
Mandava will certainly explode this afternoon.
Battle-hardened How Mine players could carry the day for Masomere. Chief striker Kuda Musharu appears to have gone to sleep with a goal drought but the coach believes he will get the best out of every player.
A rejuvenated Edmore Muzanenhamo and the experience of veterans Gilbert Banda, Nyasha Mukumbi, Menard Mupera and goalkeeper Ephraim Mazarura cannot be underestimated.
Former Dynamos employees Ge-orge Magariro and Wonder Sithole would also be out to prove that they are not spent forces after being rejected by the Harare giants.
But DeMbare team manager Richard Chihoro does not mind about the composition of How Mine and is still a bitter man from last season’s defeat while convinced that the day belongs to them. “We are still angry about what they did to us last season,” said Chihoro.
“We are Dynamos and we have a legacy to protect. We have to win this game. Cup games are however tricky because anything can happen.”
Chihoro said they would ensure victory inside 90 minutes to avoid a penalty shootout.
“We would not want a penalty shootout situation because that is a lottery. It is good to do the job in regulation time,” he said. The Glamour Boys have already bagged the Bob90 Super Cup this season.
