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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
STRUGGLING Dynamos will be hoping for a change in fortune following a bad start to the 2016 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League when they travel to Matabeleland North for a clash against fellow strugglers Hwange on Sunday.

Hwange have also had a woeful start to the season, but have been Dynamos’ bogey side and would be aiming to hand DeMbare their second consecutive defeat.

The coal miners are hoping to capitalise on Dynamos’ poor start that has seen them collecting just four points from four games and lie 12th on the league table. Hwange are third from the bottom and trail Dynamos by a point.

Three points at this stage of the season is better for Hwange, compared to last year when they had only two points after four games.

It is, however, Dynamos, who are worried the most since last year they were second at this stage on 10 points after four games.

Sunday’s match should be highly contested as both Hwange and Dynamos are coming from energy sapping defeats. Hwange were clobbered 1-4 by Harare City, while Dynamos fell 0-1 to bitter rivals Caps United in a Harare Derby.

Both coaches Dynamos’ Paulo Jorge Silva and Hwange’s Mebelo Njekwa, who were appointed at the start of the season, are feeling the heat due to poor results.

Njekwa has blamed Hwange’s poor start to a lack of positive attitude and concentration and believes the Dynamos game is the right platform for his charges to come to the party.

“We have the same squad that we had last season and I must say maybe the attitude and lack of focus is what has been letting us down and we are busy trying to fix that. If you look at the table, we just need a win to go up. We can’t be pressing panic buttons, but we really have to work on our transition from attack to defence,” said Njekwa.

“Playing Dynamos  motivates players and being their bogey team, we’re looking forward to a positive result so that we move up the ladder,” Njekwa said.

From the four players that Hwange lost at the beginning of the season, maybe goalkeeper Tafadzwa Mawaya is the only one whose absence they are feeling the most. They also lost midfielders Rodwell Chinyengetere, Nkosana Siwela and Aleck Marime, who each played less than 10 games throughout the season.

The absence of suspended gaffer Nation Dube, who is dealing with match-fixing allegations, could be another factor affecting the coalminers’ run.

Njekwa was Dube’s assistant, but seems to be taking long to establish his philosophy to the players.

There are also allegations of indiscipline in his camp, with sources saying players arrived late for training.

If Njekwa wishes to post positive results, he has to be in control of his dressing room that has veterans such as defenders Obert Moyo, Gerald Ndlovu, David Boriwondo and Munyaradzi Mungadze as well as seasoned striker Gilbert Zulu.

It is not yet clear whether financial challenges that forced some of the players to leave Hwange have eased, and if not, that could also have contributed to Hwange’s poor start.

On Sunday, Hwange needs to be at their best if they are to beat Dynamos, whose coach is hard-pressed for victory.

Their porous defence, which has conceded the most goals in the league, has to be on the lookout for Dynamos’ impotent strikers that are hungry for a break. Hwange have let in nine goals from four games.

With the DeMbare coach’s job on the line, Hwange should know how dangerous their opponents are going into this game.

“We know they watched us play against Harare City, but we have worked on our shortcomings. We also watched them and it will be foolish of us to think that they are bringing the same style. We are not reading much into that as we have to make our own plans,” said Njekwa.

Dynamos will bank on the likes of goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva, defenders Sydney Linyama, Ocean Mushure and Augustine Mbara, midfielders Masimba Mambare and Stephen Alimenda, Walter Mukanga as well as strikers Rodrick Mutuma and Evans Gwekwerere.

Fixtures
Tomorrow: Chicken Inn v Bulawayo City (Luveve), Tsholotsho FC v Ngezi Platinum Stars (White City), FC Platinum v Harare City (Mandava)

Sunday: Mutare City Rovers v How Mine (Sakubva), Caps United v Border Strikers (National Sports Stadium), Hwange v Dynamos (Colliery), Triangle United v ZPC Kariba (Gibbo), Highlanders v Chapungu (Barbourfields)