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Tapiwa Khumbuyani

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
VETERAN Bantu Rovers utility player Tapiwa Khumbuyani believes having a watertight backline will be key to his side picking a positive result in tonight’s Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match against Dynamos.

Rovers are dreaming of becoming the fourth team to beat Dynamos at their adopted home, the National Sports Stadium.

The struggling Bulawayo side, which is second from the bottom on the 18-team table, want to emulate FC Platinum, How Mine and Black Rhinos, who have beaten Dynamos by an identical 1-0 scoreline this season.

To pull out a shocker at the National Sports Stadium tonight, Rovers, who have the worst defence in the league, conceding 35 goals in 15 games, need to be watertight.

Rovers are in the relegation zone, second from the bottom of the table, and will be seeking to end an eight-game winless streak.

“Our biggest letdown has been our failure to keep clean sheets and conceding at awkward times. We need to be watertight at the back if we’re to come out with a positive result. The good thing is that the young players and the senior guys understand what we have to do and hopefully we will get it right in Harare. Besides understanding what is expected of us, another positive thing is that we’ve been scoring and now we have to fix our defence shortcomings,” said Khumbuyani.

The former Chapungu, Caps United and How Mine player has been one of the outstanding players at Rovers alongside skipper Bukhosi Sibanda, striker Obrey Chirinda and young utility player Shadreck Nyahwa.

Sibanda is the league’s leading scorer with 10 goals and is a goal shy from reaching 11 goals that won Caps United striker Leonard Tsipa the 2016 Golden Boot accolade.

Khumbuyani said the fact that Dynamos are in rampaging form exerts pressure on the Harare giants.

“The youngsters always give their best whenever they play big teams and we are comfortable with the underdog tag. Pressure is on Dynamos and we will fight for a positive result,” said Khumbuyani.

This is the second time Rovers will be playing under floodlights this season and Khumbuyani says they enjoyed the atmosphere when they lost 0-3  to Caps United in another night game a couple of weeks back.

Rovers go to Harare on the back of a 0-1 loss to Chapungu, while Dynamos edged Bulawayo City 4-3 in a thriller.

The last time Rovers played Dynamos they held the Harare giants to a 0-0 draw in November 2014 — the last time two teams met — as Rovers went on to be relegated.

To get out of National Sports Stadium with at least a point, Rovers’ rearguard must find a way to deal with DeMbare’s leading scorer Christian Epoupa, who has netted five times and attacking midfielder Denver Mukamba.

Dynamos will be without winger Emmanuel Mandiranga, who is serving a suspension after accumulating three yellow cards.