The shy and bald-headed DeMbare coach has not hidden the fact that he is a devout member of the Johane Masowe weChishanu and regularly takes some of the Dynamos players who believe in the power of the Almighty on night vigils.
Mutasa, who was thrust into the hot seat following the resignation of Elvis “Chuchu” Chiweshe is introducing a religious flavour to a team that has over the years been associated with “juju” (magic).
At a packed Rufaro during the NetOne Charity Shield game against Motor Action last Sunday, the new coach did not mind the presence of television cameras to appeal for divine intervention for his club to win the game.
When the match went for the dreaded penalty lottery, Mutasa broke into his church popular hymn “Baba ndimi munozviziva zvatirikuchemera, Baba ndimi munozviziva zvatirikuchemera” (Lord you know what we cry for).
In dramatic scenes, the DeMbare technical team formed a circle with their arms over each other’s shoulders and started to sing louder with Mutasa himself leading the choristers.
The choir was made up of six technical members with clean-shaven heads and beards with the exception of Tichaona Diya who has locks and a clean-shaven chin.
DeMbare were the first to take the spot kick and scored through Guthrie Zhokinyi. When it was Mighty Bulls’ turn, Mutasa and his choir added more decibels to their chorus, which saw the Mighty Bulls player shooting straight into the hands of Washington Arubi.
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DeMbare scored the second while the second taker for Motor Action Themba Ndlovu scored. Two more Mighty Bulls players had their efforts saved by Arubi leaving man-of-the-match Dominic Benati with the task to send his team into jubilation.
As usual he did not disappoint, sending the ball beyond Marlon Jani’s reach to send Dynamos fans into jubilation.
That is only when the choir stopped singing, with the entire technical team joining in celebration.
Speaking to Standardsport after the match, Mutasa said they had managed to change a lot of things at DeMbare, including the goal line prayer and would do more to ensure that the club was “prayer-compliant”.
“You saw how we prayed before the match started and how we prayed at half-time, that’s how we will be praying as Dynamos,” said Mutasa.
“When the referee blew to end the extra-time, I just felt something in me say that I should start with a hymn to stabilise things.
“It is obvious that this season you are going to see a lot of our church activities happening here because we have to do everything that we can for the club to win. As we sit on the technical bench with my friends we will be praying at certain intervals for the success of the team,” Mutasa said.
Before the start of the match, all the first 11 players faced the Vietnam stand and prayed. The team also prayed at half-time and after the match when they were joined by substitutes and the technical team for the last prayer.
Mutasa said that he is a member of the Johane Masowe weChishanu. He attends the service in Zengeza 5 in Chitungwiza.
But what has surprised many is that the entire technical bench of six people are all members of the same sect, with the exception of dreadlocked Diya.
Head coach Mutasa, assistants Masimba Dinyero, Chinhamo, Ralph, Charles Tshuma and Emmanuel Tichapedza are all members of that sect.
A number of players including man of the match Benati who seems to be Mutasa’ right-hand man follows his master to the shrine where they pray. However, Mutasa said he did not force the players to attend his church.
“Only two players volunteered to go kuMasowe (prayer meeting) this week (last week), but I see that it worked for me. I played well, scored a penalty and I was voted man of the match. I think I still have to decide whether to be a full-time member of the church or go there at certain intervals,” Benati said.
