IT appears the Dynamos technical team are now feeling the heat over a string of some poor results the club has been posting of late and yesterday they took up their frustrations on the Herald publication over a headline which they said portrayed them as poor coaches. 

DeMbare lost 1-2 to bottom-placed Border Strikers at Dulivhadzimu on Sunday in one of the team’s worst results this season. The Herald captured the story on its back page on Heroes Day with the headline “You’re becoming a joke” together with a picture of head coach Lloyd Mutasa and his two assistants Murape Murape and Gift “Umbro” Muzadzi.

This seems to have not gone down well with the coaches as they felt it was a personal attack. And on Wednesday, Murape refused to grant the herald newspaper an interview ahead of Sunday’s match against Bulawayo City at Rufaro, a game in which DeMbare will play after having been ranked as the 13th-best team in Africa on Monday, according to leading international football club ranking site FootballDataBase.

According to the latest rankings released on Monday, Dynamos are the top-ranked club from Zimbabwe as they are now sitting in 13th place with 1 506 points while the current Castle Lager Premiership leaders FC Platinum are placed 27th with 1 438 points.

Highlanders are also ranked in the top 50 in the FootballDataBase’s African rankings as they are placed in 34th spot with 1 426 points and they are eight places ahead of fellow Zimbabwean club side CAPS United who have garnered 1 412 points.

Interestingly, or surprisingly, another Zimbabwean club side Gunners, who were relegated from the local Premiership four years ago, are now being ranked as the 44th-best side in Africa with 1 411 points and they are sharing the same place with Cameroon’s Unisport.

South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, whose star player is Zimbabwe’s attacking midfielder Khama Billiat, are ranked as the most powerful African team with 1 588 points after they recently qualified for the semi-finals of this year’s CAF Champions League.

In fact, the Brazilians’ exploits in the ongoing CAF Champions League have earned them top spot in Africa and 102nd in the world, according to the latest FootballDataBase rankings.

Tunisian champions Etoile du Sahel (1 588 points) are now ranked as the second most powerful team on the continent while their bitter rivals Esperance de Tunis (1 588 points) and the Democratic Republic of Congo giants TP Mazembe (1 587 points) occupy the next two places.

The rankings are calculated based on the importance of the club football competitions from around the world, with major factors including weighting for the kind of match, home team advantage, goal difference in the match result, expected result of the match and previous ranking, among other factors baring less weight in the overall outcome. (note: friendlies not included).

FootballDataBase once ranked former Zimbabwe champions Dynamos among the top 10 clubs in Africa in October 2014, but the Glamour Boys have since slipped three places down the ladder after losing the local league title to Bulawayo side Chicken Inn last year.

Chicken Inn are only ranked 51st in Africa with 1 398 points despite their historic achievement of winning the local league title for the first time in their short history in domestic football.

And in the FootballDataBase rankings, which were updated on Monday, Dynamos are still ranked as the best club side in Zimbabwe despite their recent poor form which has now put their Lloyd Mutasa-led technical team under some immense pressure with his assistant Murape yesterday declaring “war” on The Herald for what he termed some unwarranted criticism.

Murape said he was “a joke” in the eyes of The Herald sports writers and for now he has preferred to “keep quiet rather than give interviews to people who view us as a joke”.

The former Dynamos midfielder said The Herald should feel free to write what they want, but he has decided to stop giving the newspaper his comments as he was hurt by the headline in Monday’s paper.

The former Soccer Star of the Year then promised this writer that he will facilitate for an interview with head coach Mutasa who was also not picking up his phone yesterday. When the two coaches linked they both resorted to not answering their phones.

Dynamos, who won the league title four times on the trot under Callisto Pasuwa from 2011 to 2015, have lost their lustre and dominance on the domestic scene and the club president Kenny Mubaiwa said the executive is expected to meet sometime this week to discuss the club’s fortunes.

It could not be established what the executive will exactly table during their soul searching meeting after last Sunday’s embarrassing defeat to “small boys” Border Strikers.

Last Sunday’s result saw Dynamos becoming the third team to lose to the Premiership returnees this season.

Other teams that have only felt the wrath of the Beitbridge-based side are Tsholotsho and an inconsistent Harare City.

Dynamos’ weakness in front of goal have been terribly exposed and before the weekend’s game the team had settled for goalless draws in back-to-back matches against ZPC Kariba and How Mine.

The former champions are 11 points adrift of leaders FC Platinum. At one stage the former champions appeared poised for a comeback following the rejuvenation of the team, but it was brief and the team has hit another dry patch.

This Sunday they host Bulawayo City seeking for a winning formula having last won a home match against Border Strikers last month. Dynamos beat Bulawayo City 0-1 in the reverse tie in Bulawayo.

But the league newboys’ image has been dented over alleged reports of match-fixing during their recent match against Border Strikers. The club have since suspended their entire technical team headed by Philani Ncube, assistant coach Farai Mujokoro, goalkeepers’ coach Reginald Buhali and kit manager Gift Mvala.

Fixtures

Saturday: Ngezi Platinum v How Mine (Baobab), Harare City v Border Strikers (Rufaro), Chapungu v ZPC Kariba (Ascot), Tsholotsho v Triangle (Luveve), Fc Platinum v Mutare City (Mandava).

Sunday: Dynamos v Bulawayo City (Rufaro), Highlanders v Chicken Inn (Barbourfields), Hwange v CAPS United (Colliery).