Dynamos coach, Lloyd Mutasa, has said that the dramatic 3-2 penalty shootout win over Highlanders was the hand of God.
A 57th minute Masimba Mambare strike saw Dynamos lead Bosso 1-0 into second half extra time before Highlanders were awarded a dramatic penalty after a handball five minutes post regulation time. Ralph Matema converted the spot kick on 97 minutes, setting Dynamos up for potential heavy embarrassment.
“I think I feel very great. I’m happy. The youngsters I feel they executed the duty very well, we scored a goal [and] we created chances. Unfortunately, we conceded very late in the game but the good part is we managed to keep our feet on the ground and with God’s grace, here we are,” Mutasa told Soccer24 after the match.
“I think we have to look at how we played. We had opportunities, I think we have always said we are an attacking side. The youngsters got the ball and we killed the team on the counter but probably in terms of numbers, we never really marked the blind side hence we were punished,” he added.
However, Mutasa said lifting the Uhuru Cup was not ideally a way of shrug off pressure from the premier league side.
“You know football has always been a pressure game and you know [that] Dynamos being Dynamos you would want to win every game that you play, even a friendly game, but because it’s football you are bound to win here, lose there and draw there. But I’m sure this [win] can only give confidence to the youngsters to do better,” he said.
He praised goalkeeper, Tonderai Mateyaunga, for saving three penalties in the shootout and ensuring that Dynamos clinch the Cup albeit in unexpected fashion. He also praised the team’s goalkeeper’s trainer for the feat.
“We believe that saving penalties is part of goalkeeping. The young boy was focused and we always say what you do in training [is important]. You play the way you train.
“I’m sure you know [that] Dynamos being Dynamos, we have a journey in front of us, but we always say that even a thousand miles’ journey starts by a [single] step. Probably that’s [winning Uhuru Cup] a step towards that direction,” he said.
