Coach Kalisto Pasuwa is five games away from equaling the Dynamos crop of 1980 to 1983 that won four straight league titles. BY MICHAEL MADYIRA
Then led by Shepherd Murape before Sunday Chidzambwa took over, Dynamos were ruthless in their league business, but Pasuwa has distinguished himself by single-handedly inspiring the Glamour Boys in the past three seasons.
A special brand of a coach he has carved himself into, his defining test starts this afternoon at Rufaro when Dynamos begin their home march towards claiming the ultimate prize in local football again.
Chapungu will be their opponents and lightweight as they may seem to be, Pasuwa is mindful of the Workers Day catastrophe that befell Dynamos at Ascot when they were stunned 1-0.
“Much respect to Chapungu for being one of the teams who beat us this season,” said Pasuwa.
“It shows they are serious about football. I do not know how they are playing right now but you know most teams have improved from how they were in the first half of the season. We need to be perfect in everything that we do.”
In passing the tests of the past three seasons that has come with a hat-trick of league titles, Dynamos have never lost in their last five league matches.
In 2011, it was FC Platinum who were persistently on their case in the final five games.
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The following year it was Highlanders as their fiercest challengers to the league crown and last year Bosso were again pressing to snatch it away from them together with Harare City.
But Dynamos refused to melt in the cauldron of the league battles that culminated in winning the war and a similar situation characterises the current campaign.
While admitting he is feeling the pressure exerted by this season’s closest rivals ZPC Kariba and CAPS United, Pasuwa again is very cautious of the fight, declining to bank on records of the past three seasons.
“These teams are there to break records. I would not want to get into this [Chapungu] match reading much into records lest I fool myself.
“We need results and hopefully we will get the three points. “We are definitely feeling the challenge being posed by ZPC Kariba. Even CAPS United are keeping us on our toes. This stage is giving us sleepless nights, no time to relax,” he said.
As has always been the case in the last three seasons, injuries are back to haunt his side at a critical stage where he needs full complement of his arsenal.
Striker Anesu Gondo and midfielder Devon Chafa are out injured while Masimba Mambare and Sydney Linyama have been deemed unfit to play.
His opponents Chapungu however face the same predicament with key men Brighton Mugoni, Blessed Mabavaira and Farai Manase not making the trip to Rufaro.
That has complicated Chapungu coach John Nyikadzino’s game plan in their fight to avoid relegation.
“This will definitely be a very tough game,” said Nyikadzino.
“Dynamos are playing for the championship and we are fighting for our safety. It is a real battle. I would not want to cry that some of my players will be missing. I will just work with what is available. One good thing however is that my players are motivated to face a big team like Dynamos and they will work hard to get noticed.”
The Thornhill Airbase side have registered only one win away this season.
