3 YEARS, NO JOY . . . Bosso fall to DeMbare, yet again Dynamos captain Murape Murape lifts the Gushungo Victory Cup in the presence of the guest of honour Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa, at the National Sports Stadium in Harare yesterday
Dynamos captain Murape Murape lifts the Gushungo Victory Cup in the presence of the guest of honour Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs  Minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa, at the National Sports Stadium in Harare yesterday

Dynamos captain Murape Murape lifts the Gushungo Victory Cup in the presence of the guest of honour Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa, at the National Sports Stadium in Harare yesterday

Ellina Mhlanga Harare Bureau
Dynamos 0 -0 Highlanders
Dynamos won 3-2 on penalties

HARARE giants Dynamos continued with their dominance over bitter rivals Highlanders when they beat them after a penalty shootout to lift the Gushungo Victory Cup at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.

The match had ended in a goalless draw in regulation time as both teams fought to claim the title and it had to be decided in a penalty shootout that saw the Glamour Boys maintaining their dominance over the Bulawayo side as they won the penalty lottery 3-2.

Highlanders’ last triumph over Dynamos came in April 2011 at the National Sports Stadium when they overcame DeMbare in the Independence Trophy final.

And in the league games Bosso last won against Dynamos in 2006 when they were under the guidance of Mkhupali “Mr Cooper” Masuku.

In yesterday’s penalty shootout, Highlanders appeared to be heading for a rare victory over Dynamos when Charles Sibanda who was the first to take the spot-kick converted it and Innocent Mapuranga was also on target with the next one for Bosso while DeMbare missed their first two penalties.

Augustine Mbara’s effort went wide and Fabrice Mbimba’s shot was saved by Highlanders shot-stopper Munyaradzi Diya.

Highlanders then needed to convert just one more penalty to turn the tables on their rivals but all hell broke loose when Valentine Ndaba failed to convert their third penalty that could have guaranteed them victory.

While Ndaba missed his chance, Ocean Mushure made it one for Dynamos before Highlanders’ Gabriel Nyoni missed his side’s fourth penalty.

Oscar Machapa then utilised Dynamos’ fourth spot-kick to bring back his side into the game and Blessing Moyo grabbed the winner for the Glamour Boys as Highlanders keeper Diya’s effort hit the cross bar.

Bosso had a good day on the field of play as they managed to hold their opponents for 90 minutes but they blew away their opportunity to break the jinx that has seen them playing second fiddle to Dynamos for the past three years and will have to wait a little bit longer to change their fortunes.

The Bulawayo giants could have taken the lead just six minutes into the game when Simon Munawa fired the ball from close range but the effort was saved by Dynamos goalie Tatenda Mukuruva.

In the 15th minute, Bruce Kangwa’s cross was cleared from the box for a corner as Highlanders continued to search for the opening goal.

They continued to search for goals after the breather but maybe it was not their day as all their efforts were to no avail.

Dynamos, on the other hand, created a number of chances but were wasteful as well with Simba Sithole getting several opportunities coming his way but failing to convert them.

Sithole first missed a cross from Moyo in the eighth minute that could have seen his side taking the lead.

In the 35th minute Sithole came back to haunt the Highlanders rearguard but his shot from inside the box was cleared by Felix Chindungwe.

Mbimba had earlier on had his effort cleared from the danger zone also as Dynamos persisted in their quest for victory.

They kept on searching for the opener but they could not find the magic touch to get the much-needed goals in regulation time.

Out-going Dynamos coach Callisto Pasuwa said although they won the game, their opponents gave them a good run for their money.

“Maybe today the opposition played very well. They had their central link which was very compact. But I am also saying it is one more cup in the cabinet which is very good on our side considering that we won the championship last week and again we have another silverware in our cabinet,” Pasuwa said.

The Dynamos coach admitted that at one point he thought they had lost the game after failing to convert two consecutive penalties during the penalty shootout while their opponents were two goals up.

Pasuwa added that their success is a result of teamwork by everyone including the supporters who are always rallying behind the team.

“I was a bit worried when Highlanders converted their first two penalties. Augustine Mbara is one of my best penalty takers and he had missed and I thought maybe we were going to lose those penalties but we ended up winning in this penalty lottery.

“I think football is all about teamwork by verybody in the house. You might say I am the only one but in terms of the team, everyone involved, including the supporters, have been helping us maybe in terms of the support. When we were playing our away games they were there for us and I think it’s good for the Dynamos family,” Pasuwa said.

Highlanders caretaker coach, Mark Mathe, commended his troops for a good performance as he said they went down fighting.

“What I can say maybe to our counterparts Dynamos is congratulations they have managed to beat us again but all I can tell them is that they should remain wise because it’s not because of what they know, it’s not because they are clever or because of their tactic, it’s their time, so they shouldn’t say we are clever we’ve got the prize, we’ve got everything. It’s their time.

“Coming to the game itself, I think this is one of the best games we played in years today. Normally the games that we have played before we will lose in open play and Dynamos will be all over us but today I thought we were compact and our players exerted themselves well, we shifted the ball well, we created a number of chances, which I think if we had converted them, it would have been a decent trip for us to Harare.

“In the penalty shootout I told my guys that ‘look God has let us come this far for a reason’, so I asked for that ounce of more character, one ounce of more mental strength and it was going as we were taking those penalties then unfortunately the magic turned things around and Dynamos found the mental strength to overturn the penalty lottery and they won. But overally I have no sour grapes,” said Mathe.

For winning the Gushungo Victory Cup, Dynamos got US$45,000 for their efforts while Highlanders walked away with US$35,000.

Yesterday’s match was graced by the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was the guest of honour accompanied by other government officials including the Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Thabetha Kanengoni-Malinga.

Teams

Dynamos: T. Mukuruva, B. Moyo, O. Mushure, T. Ndlovu, A. Mbara, M. Makopa, T. Rusike, R. Madamombe (O. Machapa 62nd minute), S. Sithole, F. Mbimba, M. Murape (W. Pakamisa 61st minute).

Highlanders: M. Diya, S. Munawa, K. Nadolo, C. Sibanda, B. Kangwa, G. Makaruse (V. Ndaba 63rd minute), I. Mapuranga, F. Chindungwe, W. Ndiweni, S. Sithole, P. Manhanga (G. Nyoni 55th minute).

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