The ManicaPost
Ray Bande Senior Sports Reporter
MUTARE City Rovers’ caretaker coach Ndega Matsika, who opened his account with an impressive demolition of Caps United away in the capital, is expecting his lads to continue with their giant killing instincts when they face struggling Dynamos at Vengere Stadium in Rusape on Sunday.
The match starts at 3pm.
The former Mighty Warriors goalkeepers’ coach inherited a depleted squad that had been deserted by some key players, among them the experienced duo of Themba Ndlovu and Evans “Morocco” Chikwaikwai, but somehow Matsika managed to assemble a team that produced a victory they badly needed to rekindle hopes of surviving relegation.
Against all odds, especially after a week of turbulence in camp that came with unpaid player bonuses and salaries, Mutare City Rovers got the better of Caps United at the giant National Sports Stadium to take their tally to 11 points.
A win against Dynamos on Sunday will take Mutare City Rovers points tally to 14 and place them on top of out-of-sorts Dynamos on the long standings.
With a little bit of luck, depending on what comes out from the matches that Bulawayo City, Shabanie Mine, Chapungu and Nichrut will play this weekend, Gusha Bhora might find themselves out of the drop zone with just a victory over Dynamos if it comes to fruition.
But Mutare City Rovers caretaker coach Ndega Matsika knows fully well that outplaying Dynamos will not be an easy task even though the fading Harare giants have been singing the blues since the start of the 2018 season.
Matsika said his players must never get carried away by their 2-1 triumph over Caps United and will have to sweat it out once again to win the match against Dynamos.
“I think I should start by congratulating my players for a job well done in Harare. They played according to instruction and we got the result that we wanted.
“However, that was just an episode in a drama that is still unfolding. We need to be consistent. I am emphasising day in day out, during training that we need to be consistent. The result that we got against Caps United actually gives our opponents extra impetus to perform better when they play against us,” said Matsika.
The former Buffaloes and Black Rhinos shot stopper said Dynamos are yearning for a win and they will be coming to Vengere to redeem their lost pride.
He said his team only needs to win a few matches to stay in a safe position on the log standings.
“We are going to face wounded Dynamos so it is not going to be easy.
“It is another tough match again with three points at stake. They will obviously be coming to Vengere to redeem their lost pride but we must not allow that to happen.
“After all, we are not very far away from escaping relegation. Even if you look at the log table we just need to win a few league matches and ensure that we are in a safe position as far as escaping relegation is concerned,” he said.
However, it remains to be seen whether Mutare City Rovers will give yet another spirited performance in front of their home fans at Vengere Stadium on Sunday.
Through provision of incentives, the club’s executive is now expected to play their part in motivating the players to go an extra mile and ensure the club keeps the Premiership franchise in the eastern border city.
Meanwhile, medical aid company Cellmed has chipped in with assistance in covering Mutare City Rovers’ travelling costs during both their home and away matches.
Cellmed has been the only notable corporate partner for Mutare City Rovers this season after the company donated uniforms that the team is using at the start of the season.
