THE sleeping giant has awakened.
For the first time this season, Dynamos have won five matches in a row across all competitions, a breathtaking run that has shattered the gloom hanging over the Harare giants and ignited a fire of hope for fans.
The ghost of relegation, once a terrifying certainty, is finally starting to fade into the background.
On Sunday, in what was a high stakes, six-pointer relegation clash, the Harare giants delivered a masterful second half performance to subdue a desperate Green Fuel side.
After a tense, scoreless first half, the DeMbare supporters were treated to a show of pure grit and determination.
Jairos Kasondo, a striker reborn under coach Kelvin Kaindu, broke the deadlock with a clinical finish early in the second half.
His goal, his second in as many matches, was the spark that lit the fuse.
Moments later, the ever composed Temptation Chiwunga sealed the deal, converting a crucial penalty to put the match beyond doubt.
- Panashe Mutasa comes of age at Tenax FC
- Dynamos back to winning ways
- Ndiraya backs Antonio to impress in Belgium
- Artists struggling to grasp intellectual property rights
Keep Reading
The 2-0 victory wasn’t just a win. It was a statement.
Suddenly, the numbers on the league table are starting to tell a different story.
While the win, their third league victory on the bounce, did not move them from their second from bottom position, it closed the gap on their rivals, shrinking their 25-point tally to just three points shy of 13th placed Triangle.
More importantly, the entire mid table is now a mere stone’s throw away.
As Kaindu himself noted after the match, two more wins could sensationally lift them out of the danger zone and into a position of safety.
This breathtaking turnaround has injected a surge of excitement and belief into the squad, but the man at the helm is urging caution.
While fans are dreaming of survival, Kaindu remains grounded.
“Honestly, you can’t enjoy anything to be in the position where Dynamos is today,” Kaindu said, his words a dose of cold reality.
“But it keeps building your faith, it keeps building the confidence also in the team… We were very far from the teams on top of us, but I think right now we should be two or so points away, and if we win two games, we should be able to move maybe to the fourth or fifth position upwards. But we don’t want to get carried away with what is happening.”
Kaindu warns that the true test of DeMbare’s new-found strength is coming this weekend in the form of a formidable opponent --- the redhot and title-chasing Scottland.
The well-resourced club is on an eight-match winning streak of their own, hot on the heels of log leaders Simba Bhora.
“We have got a game that is coming on Saturday. We just want to focus,” Kaindu added.
“I am happy that everyone has been given a chance to play. They have performed well, and the belief is slowly coming into the team.
“Slowly, we are beginning to believe that certainly it can be possible that we can survive.”
At the heart of this resurgence is striker Kasondo, a once-maligned player who is now leading the charge.
Kaindu’s simple secret to the forward’s success?
“I just gave him confidence to believe and trust in him,” the coach revealed.
“He had not been starting in most of the games, but now he is our main striker… I just hope that he keeps on his rhythm, he keeps on the strength that he is showing on the field.”
With six of their relegation rivals dropping points over the weekend, Dynamos were the undisputed winners in the fight for survival.
The stage is now set for a dramatic showdown this Saturday at Rufaro Stadium, a clash that will either prove this streak is the start of a great escape, or just a fleeting moment of hope.
Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matchday 27
Saturday: Bikita Minerals v TelOne (Gibbo), Ngezi Platinum Stars v FC Platinum (Baobab), Scottland v Dynamos (Rufaro), Green Fuel v Simba Bhora (Green Fuel Arena), MWOS v Chicken Inn (Ngoni)
Sunday: Highlanders v Yadah (Barbourfields), Caps United v ZPC Kariba (Rufaro), Triangle v Herentals (Gibbo), Kwekwe United v Manica Diamonds (Ascot)
