GIANTS Dynamos will need to put many things behind them when they host early season pace-setters Manica Diamonds in a Castle Lager Premiership football tie at the National Sports Stadium this Sunday.
The Glamour Boys spent the better part of the week counting the losses from the defeat by old foes Highlanders in the high stakes Presidential Independence Day Trophy final at Barbourfields on Monday.
DeMbare not only lost the bragging rights after surrendering the trophy they had won last year against the same opponents, but they missed out on a huge pay day, which could have seen each player going home with not less than US$1 500 richer.
They also had their six-match unbeaten run breached. Then the physical exhaustion that came with travelling to and from Bulawayo on awkward days, and losing at least one day of preparations.
DeMbare coach Tonderai Ndiraya yesterday said they have managed to put behind them the setback, after losing 0-1 to old foes Highlanders in the final of the Presidential Independence Day Trophy, which carried $6 million from the Government and about US$51 000 bonus, availed by their sponsors Sakunda Holdings, for the winners.
They returned home on Tuesday with US$9 000 and $4.5 million for being runners-up. Ndiraya told The Herald yesterday that his team has shifted focus to the league competition, where they have done fairly well.
Ndiraya said they have since shifted focus to the preparations for their next game against Manica Diamonds at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
"We are preparing very well," said Ndiraya.
"But I think our preparations have been a bit different in the sense that we played Highlanders on Monday. Obviously we travelled back to Harare on Tuesday and we had to start our serious preparations with the team on Wednesday.
"So that took away one day off our training schedule and we have got to see how we manage the situation because what is important in football is recovery.
"We have got to recover from the travelling and of course the game which we played on Monday, an unusual day, but, of course, an important day in the history of the country.
"We are done with the Independence Day celebrations and we are now fully focused on the league programme which is a long one, gruelling and difficult one for that matter.
"So we are having to psychologically talk to our players to shift from a celebratory mood to a serious league campaign mood which we had before the Uhuru celebrations.
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"That's what we have been working on. We are working on the recovery of the players. It's going to be difficult but we know how we are going to manage that recovery."
Dynamos currently sit on top of the table with 23 points from 11 outings. They had a winning run of five games before settling for a share of the spoils with Ngezi Platinum Stars in their last league game.
But Manica Diamonds, who led the race earlier in the season, are not far off as they are third with 20 points. The Mutare-based Gem Boys have had a decent run and are currently unbeaten in their last seven games.
They last tasted defeat when they fell to a surprise 1-2 defeat to Herentals just over two months ago. They have one of the most lethal forwards in the league this season in goal poacher Nyasha Chintuli, who is the joint top scorer with CAPS United's William Manondo on nine goals from 11 games.
However, Johannes Nhumwa's side has not won a match since March 13 when they beat Triangle 2-1. Their last four matches have ended in draws against Cranborne Bullets, FC Platinum, Chicken Inn and Bulawayo Chiefs. Manica Diamonds made a huge statement when they thrashed giants CAPS United 6-2 at Sakubva.
Castle Lager Premiership Fixtures
Tomorrow: Chicken Inn v Bulawayo City (Luveve), ZPC Kariba v Ngezi Platinum (Nyamhunga), FC Platinum v Highlanders (Mandava), Harare City v Black Rhinos (NSS), Tenax v Yadah (Sakubva)
Sunday: Dynamos v Manica Diamond (NSS), Triangle v CAPS United (Gibbo), Bulawayo Chiefs v Whawha (Barbourfields), Cranborne Bullets v Herentals (Sakubva)
