ARISTICA CIOABA is refusing to go quietly into the night.
While others scan the standings and see a huge eight-point difference, the Romanian retains faith that Dynamos can yet pull off a remarkable league title heist.
Sitting third on 45 points with eight fixtures remaining, the Harare giants remain a dark horse, trailing log leaders Scottland (53) and second-placed Hardrock (51), with Herentals lurking just a rung behind in fourth.
Yet Cioaba believes the final stretch of the campaign will yield plenty of plot twists before the silver is handed out.
Dynamos kept their title ambitions on life support on Wednesday, hauling themselves back into contention with a grit-infused 1-1 draw against the defending league champions Scottland.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s clash against Chicken Inn at Rufaro Stadium, Cioaba was adamant that his side will take the title fight to the wire.
"Like I said in my last interview before the game against Scotland, it's not the time for us to lose games," Cioaba declared.
"Let's maintain this good performance also on Sunday. Our plan is very clear.
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“We are still fighting to finish top in the league. We have the confidence that it's possible.
“We still have eight games to play so we have to keep the concentration game by game... to play to win the game, to play good football, better than the last game."
The Romanian’s optimism stems from a squad finally internalising his methods—reflected in a run that sees Dynamos unbeaten in seven league outings since his arrival last month, alongside a successful passage to the Chibuku Super Cup quarter-finals.
The only blemish on his ledger remains a shock exit to Hwange in the Zifa Munhumutapa Cup.
"I am confident about the players now. They are near to fully understand my philosophy. They now listen to our tactics and trust our plan," he said.
The immediate obstacle is an uncompromising fixture list.
Sunday's game is their third assignment within seven days, following a 4-1 cup thrashing of TelOne and the exhausting midweek clash with Scottland.
To starve off severe fatigue, the squad has been confined to a continuous five-day camp.
"Yes, it's difficult. In seven days, we have played three games, but this is football," Cioaba acknowledged.
"We need to manage the situation. We need to recover the players, with the plan for the game on Sunday against Chicken Inn. I like to be consistent with our players, consistent with our results.
“For me, personally, as a coach, it's very important in this game to go in and maintain the same rhythm and the same play because that would be good for our supporters.
“ That would keep them happy which would see them stay with the team and trust the team more."
The intensive recovery regime—which saw the squad undergo a recovery session on Thursday and a full session yesterday ahead of today’s tactical breakdown—was only rendered financially viable through their sponsor intervention.
"The players didn't have time to rest," Cioaba explained.
"Today [yesterday] we have a training session, a special training for the players. Tomorrow [today] session is going to tactical and then Sunday, I think we will be ready to fight again to get maximum points. As the coach I asked for the team to remain in camp for five days. And you know, camping for five days is more costly. I want to thank our sponsor, AfricaBet.
“Our sponsor understands my philosophy, understands what I'm trying to do here. I need my players to stay together, control the players to have a good rest and good training.
“The sponsor has been very supportive. Because of the five days in camp, the team look very good physically, and they had good power so it was not possible to lose the game against Scotland."
Beyond the title implications, Sunday’s fixture against a desperate Chicken Inn side—who arrive in Harare winless in four matches and newly dumped out of both domestic cup competitions—presents a tangle of personal narratives.
Visiting coach Tonderai Ndiraya, a Dynamos icon, returns to face his former club and, crucially, midfielder Nathan Mutasa.
The in-form starlet was used only sparingly by Ndiraya during their shared stint at Scottland last term, but has blossomed into Dynamos’ primary catalyst, providing a goal and an assist against TelOne before orchestrating Wednesday's crucial equalizer off the bench.
Exhorting the Dynamos supporters to turn Rufaro into a cauldron once more, Cioaba remains convinced that if his players can summon the energy for one last leap, the crown remains within reach.
