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Ishemunyoro Chingwere Harare Bureau
Harare City 3-Dynamos 5
THOSE who say that the champions are a boring lot, specialists in one-goal victories and a mean defence that gives away very little, needed to be at Rufaro yesterday to see the other side of these amazing Glamour Boys who inched a step closer to winning a fourth straight league title.

Forget about the madness of a goalkeeper whose mind was probably somewhere else on a day when even Vietnam turned against him as Artwell Mukandi produced his worst performance since taking over the number one spot from George Chigova.

Or the comedy of them appearing in the first half with their black three-quarter warm-up shorts after a clash of colours, and then changing into their white shorts after the interval.

When they needed to get the goals they just did so including scoring some of the most beautiful goals you will ever see on the domestic scene this year, and even when they went under pressure with reports filtering in from Gwanzura that ZPC Kariba were demolishing Buffaloes, they didn’t crumble.

Instead they found a way to score more goals in one match than their fans can ever remember with Ocean Mushure scoring a beauty, and crashing his free-kick against the crossbar, Washington Pakamisa rising from the bench to score a brace, Cliff Sekete with a rare headed goal and, of course even the Prince Rodreck Mutuma ending his goal drought.

This certainly can’t be classified as boring.

For long periods in that second half the Glamour Boys were giving this impression that whatever ZPC Kariba can do, we can do even better.

If this year’s Castle Lager Premiership title is to be won by goal difference then Dynamos are just preparing for that.

By the way James Jam, former Dynamos striker Francesco Zvekumbawire and Osborne Mukuradare were also on target for Harare City.

Despite conceding three goals for the first time this season the win left Callisto Pasuwa’s men in control of this championship race.

The sizeable crowd which turned up for the match got more than they had bargained for even before the match started with Dynamos turning up for the first half with black three-quarter warm-up shorts after a clash of colours which caused a 14-minute delay.

The Glamour Boys were quick to put their kit blip behind them with their foot on the accelerator from the first whistle and, with better precision they could have taken at least a two-goal lead to the breather.

Barely four minutes on the clock and with some fans still trickling into the stadium, gangly forward Mutuma headed over a corner by Mushure with Maxwell Nyamupanedengu in goals for City, at sea.

Mutuma then headed over from close range a cross from the impressive Sekete.

City’s resolve was finally broken seven minutes before the breather when Mushure’s shot went in off the upright after he was brilliantly set up by Thomas Magorimbo.

Defensive City linkman Jam leveled matters with an equally fine effort from the edge of the box just three minutes after the break.

But DeMbare restored their lead three minutes later through an unmarked Sekete who placed his header home with no challenge from inside the box after being picked out by Ronald Chitiyo.

Zvekumbawire responded with a 25-metre volley, a beauty, but Mukandi was badly positioned on a day when all City’s realistic attempts at goal ended in the back of his net.

His return was further spoiled when he toiled with the ball in a moment of madness and lost possession from which Osbourne Mukuradare won a penalty which he stepped up to convert and cut the deficit after DeMbare had taken a 4-2 lead.

But before City’s third goal skipper David Kutyauripo had seen red — for a second bookable offence — for impeding a glory bound Chitiyo who had weaved his way past three defenders.

Mushure crashed the resultant freekick against the cross bar and the rebound fell kindly for second half substitute Pakamisa to head home.

Mushure’s freekicks were proving a handful for City and would return with another one which nestled into Nyamupanedengu’s goal off Mutuma’s header.

Pakamisa then iced the cake three minutes from fulltime with a well-executed left footer after brilliant interplay involving Simba Sithole and Mutuma.

 

Teams

Harare City: M Nyamupanedengu, C Dickson (T. Chimwemwe, 93rd min), D Kutyauripo, W Manondo, R Uchena, T Chawapiwa, A Chivheya, T Ngulube (O Mukuradare 45th min), A Chaka, J Jam, F Zvekumbawire.

Dynamos: A Mukandi, B Moyo, O Mushure, T Ndlovu, A Mbara, T Magorimbo, C Sekete (T Rusike 71st min), S Sithole, R Mutuma (B Amidu 92nd min), A Gondo (W Pakamisa 56th min), R Chitiyo.