Power Dynamos head coach Osward Mutapa has warned his players against complacency despite their 2-1 victory over Trident FC, insisting that the defending champions must improve their decision-making and concentration as they pursue greater consistency in the MTN Super League Transitional Season.
Power collected maximum points at home on Sunday, but the result did little to ease Mutapa’s concerns about the team’s overall performance. The coach believes his players still have plenty of work to do if they are to produce more convincing displays and maintain consistency throughout the campaign.
The defending champions took an early lead through Joshua Mutale in the 10th minute, but Trident responded when Sam Sikasote equalised in the 32nd minute. Power eventually restored their advantage in the 60th minute through Andy Boyeli, whose goal secured all three points.
However, Mutapa was unhappy with how his side allowed the visitors back into the contest, arguing that a lack of concentration after taking the lead made the match more difficult than necessary.
“Like I alluded to before this game, we don’t need to show a lot of complacency. We scored early, but again, complacency came into play and made it difficult for ourselves. We couldn’t do the right thing when it was needed,” Mutapa said.
The coach also raised concerns about his players’ decision-making in both defensive and attacking situations, emphasising the need for greater discipline and respect for their opponents.
“We made decisions that were not right for the game of football. Even when it came to marking, when it came to attacking, in a game of football, you have to respect your opponents. If you don’t respect your opponents, that’s the situation we find ourselves in,” he said.
Although satisfied with the three points, Mutapa maintained that the performance fell short of his expectations, with only a few individual displays earning his approval. He stressed that securing victories must go hand in hand with improving the team’s overall level of performance.
“Yeah, we needed the result. We need to show consistency in terms of the results that we get, and we are happy we have gotten the result. But in terms of the way we perform, only individual players we were able to pick from the results today,” he said.
Boyeli was among the players to impress, scoring his first goal since returning to the team. Mutapa believes the strike will boost the forward’s confidence, although he acknowledged that the player is still working towards full match fitness.
“It’s important for his confidence. He’s doing well, but still yet to be fully fit, but for me, he’s doing well,” Mutapa said.
The victory lifts Power Dynamos to fourth place in Stream A with six points, but the defending champions now face a demanding test against unbeaten FC MUZA in Mazabuka. With only three days to prepare, Mutapa wants his team to address the weaknesses exposed against Trident before taking on the stream leaders, who have won both of their home matches so far.
Despite acknowledging MUZA’s strong start, the Power coach is targeting another victory and has challenged his players to take the game to their opponents.
“We have three days to prepare. We need to prepare for MUZA. They have been doing well. They have not lost a game. They have won twice at their turf, so we need to go there and win,” he said.
For Power Dynamos, the upcoming trip to Mazabuka will provide an early test of their ability to turn positive results into consistent performances as they seek to defend their status as champions. Mutapa’s message is clear: the victory over Trident is a welcome result, but his players must show greater concentration, make better decisions and maintain their discipline if they are to overcome the challenge posed by FC MUZA.
