BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE
Premier Soccer League debutants Manica Diamonds coach Luke Masomere says playing a big team like Dynamos is enough motivation in itself for him and his charges, ahead of the club’s first ever meeting with the Harare giants at Rufaro Stadium this afternoon.
Manica Diamonds are enjoying a debut season in the premiership as they sat in eighth place going into this weekend fixtures.
What makes Manica Diamonds’s performance all the more impressive is that they have been playing their home matches far away from Mutare at Gibbo Stadium in Triangle.
Masomere revealed that his team needs no motivation to face Zimbabwe’s most decorated football club. “We are not just playing a big team, but the biggest team in the history of football in this country and it’s a motivating factor in itself,” Masomere said.
“We are a small team and I don’t know what we have to do to be called big.
“Manica Diamonds can only be called big probably because they are coached by the Doctor of Football.”
The self-proclaimed Doctor of Football is pleased with his side’s performances thus far in the league considering that the only stadium in Mutare was deemed unfit to host top-flight league matches.
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“We have been playing so well away from home even in our home matches at Gibbo, some 350km away from Mutare,” he said.
“We will be more at home at Rufaro today because it is closer to Mutare than Gibbo. “We are also not intimidated by Dynamos’ crowds because we have never had home support ourselves, so we are ready for battle.”
However, Manica Diamonds will be missing at least four of their regular players for the Dynamos tie.
Former Dynamos players Partson Jaure, Timire Mamvura, Benjamin Marere and Wisdom Mutasa are likely going to miss the match through injury, while Ishmael Lawe and Tinashe Chigede have been ruled out.
DeMbare, who will be missing inspirational captain Edward Sadomba, are high in confidence after pulling out a big result at Mandava Stadium last week.
The Glamour Boys seem ready to mine some diamonds, but coach Tonderai Ndiraya is fretting over the possibility of complacency on the part of his players. “We are prepared. We will miss our captain though injury. He has been very inspirational for us this season,” Ndiraya said.
“We have been battling against complacency the whole week after the unexpected FC Platinum win, but the boys have refocused and are ready to take on the next challenge.”
Apart from Sadomba who picked up a knock agains FC Platinum last week, Dynamos will be without their foreign imports, who are still sidelined through injuries.
Ndiraya is also wary of the fact that Dynamos have struggled against small teams so far this season.
“We had struggled against the so- called small teams and our losses this season have come from those teams. We have to change all that,” he said. “We also want the support of our fans as we take our revival process a step further. They must come in their numbers and help us.”
Only one point separates the two teams with Dynamos on 14 points while Manica Diamonds are on 15.
