Author: True Blue

Dynamos Fined, Ill-Fated Match Awarded To Highlanders

The Premier Soccer League Disciplinary Committee has found Dynamos guilty of causing the abandonment of their ill-fated league match against Highlanders played last month at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo and fined them US$7500.

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Highlanders have also been slapped with a US$5000 fine for their fans’ invasion of the pitch as they celebrated the disputed goal.

Additionally, the PSL have awarded the match to Highlanders on a three-nil score line.

The match was abandoned in the second minute of time added on when both sets of fans invaded the pitch at different intervals leaving the referee with no option but to abandon the match.

Highlanders’ striker Washington Navaya had headed the ball home sending multitudes of Bosso fans onto the pitch in wild celebrations.

This angered the Dembare fans on the Mpilo End Bay and they promptly stormed the pitch and tore the nets on one goal while some attempted to uproot the goalposts.

After police had briefly driven the fans away from the pitch, council workers brought in some replacement nets but they could not do anything as missiles rained onto the goal area as Dembare fans protested the awarding of the goal.

This left the match commissioner Edson Nkau with no option but to call off the match.

The latest judgement increases Highlanders’ points tally to 23 though they still remain on 10th position on the log.

All PSL teams have now officially played 17 matches.

Mushunje Killed In Road Accident

Former Dynamos midfielder Barnabas Mushunje has passed on. He was 24.

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The Simba Bhora player lost his life after the car he was travelling in along the Harare-Shamva Road was involved in a collision with a tractor earlier this afternoon.

The badly-injured Mushunje was rushed to Parirenyatwa Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The player had travelled to Mutare for a funeral and was on the way back to Sjhamva where his team Simba Bhora are based.

Mushunje joined Dynamos in January 2020 and did not play much due to the Covid pandemic.

He played in the Chibuku Supercup and a few league matches in 2021 before moving to Simba Bhora at the beginning of this year.

May His Dear Soul Rest In Peace.

 

Sadiki Spakles As Dembare Clinch Derby

DYNAMOS FOOTBALL CLUB chose the grand stage to finally explode just as their fans have been demanding to put rivals Caps Utd to the sword in a lively Harare Derby played in cool temperatures at the National Sports Stadium this afternoon.

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Discontent had been simmering within the Glamour Boys family after the three frustrating matches against Highlanders and Bulawayo City and Herentals punctuated by what fans called “boring football”.

But everything finally fell into place this afternoon as Dembare destroyed rivals Caps Utd to send their maltitudes of fans into delirium.

It had looked ominous for the Glamour Boys as they lost utility man Shadreck Nyahwa to injury just before the start of the match. However, Dynamos coach Tonderai Ndiraya rang several changes to his team as he handed winger Issa Sadiki and Junior Makunike rare starts, while talented left-back Brendon Mpofu returned from injury.

Sadiki put up a man of the match performance as he dazzled for the Harare giants, roasting wingback Valentine Musarurwa much of the afternoon, bringing to the fore a dribbling artistry last seen in local football a long time ago.

Fittingly, Sadiki opened the scoring for Dynamos in the 44th minute, when he latched on to a brilliant angled pass from Evans Katema and closing in on the opposition goal area.

Sadiki had the presence of mind to gain a few more yards and coming face to face with keeper Tatenda Munditi before expertly placing his shot just beyond the reach of the goalie and into the bottom corner of the net.

The relief of going ahead in the derby was evident as Dembare players celebrated with the Zora Butter dance bringing back fond memories to their fans on the Eastern side of the stadium.

Dynamos were to dominate proceedings from there and poor shooting and over elaborateness prevented them from surging further ahead.

Seven minutes into the second half, Dynamos increased their lead when Ralph Kawondera side-footed a cheeky shot past the keeper from a Katema pass, to kill off the match as a contest.

To their credit, Caps Utd did not drop their heads as they kept possession well and had good build-ups which could have been rewarded with a goal but for the resolute Dembare defence.

The best chance for Caps Utd came in the 65th minute when a delicate cross from the far left looped onto an unattended William Manondo who headed over the bar with no challenge from the Boys In blue and to the amazement of many.

Dynamos put the icing on the cake with a minute to go in regulation time when enterprising defender Frank Makarati rose highest in the box to plant his header home from a corner kick by Sadiki.

The match marked the first time that Caps midfielder Devon Chafa had lost a Harare Derby match in his career, though he himself had a decent performance in the middle of the park.

Dynamos coach Tonderai Ndiraya was a much relieved man after the match coming from a tumultuous fortnight in which he was suspended and reinstated.

With the three points, Dynamos have risen back to second place after being dislodged by champions FC Platinum yesterday.

In other matches played today, Chicken Inn held on to top spot when they came away from the Lowveld with a precious 1-nil victory over Triangle, while Manica Diamonds won the Mutare derby 1-nil over Tenax.

Highlanders welcomed their new coach with a 1-nil victory over Harare City as WhaWha shocked Ngezi Platinum by the same scoreline.

Ndiraya’s Class Second Best In Last Ten Seasons

So Dynamos coach Tonderai Ndiraya was suspended last week for as yet unexplained reasons. Only to be reinstated four days later again with no word coming from his employers.

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Naturally, the streets were abuzz with theories of the suspension with many alleging “Ndiraya’s stubbornness and insubordination, while as many claimed that Ndiraya ran a “Pay As You Play” scheme among his players.

But the most common of all was that Ndiraya had been suspended for poor results coupled brought about by “boring and unimaginative football.”

So far, Dynamos have played 16 matches, though one of these was abandoned. They have notched up nine victories and four draws, garnering a total of 31 points.

Which brought me to wonder how other Dynamos teams of the past 10 years have fared in their first 15 matches of the season, including the famed Dynamos sides of the golden Kallisto Pasuwa era between 2011 and 2014 which won the league titles in all these years.

Let us consider the mark of the first 15 matches because that is when the Dynamos executive had seen it fit to suspend Ndiraya.

A closer look at the last ten seasons will reveal Ndiraya’s 2022 class to be the SECOND top perfomers of all Dynamos teams in the first 15 matches of each of the past ten seasons.

Ndiraya’s performance is only bettered by the 2012 Dynamos team coached by Pasuwa which won 10 matches and drew 3 for a total of 33 points.

This 2022 Dynamos class has outperformed all other 8 Dynamos teams of the last 10 seasons including 3 of the famed Pasuwa teams of 2011, 2013 and 2014. Interestingly all these three Pasuwa teams went on to win the league title in each of these seasons.

The worst Dynamos of the past 10 seasons in the first 15 matches is the 2018 class coached by Lloyd Mutasa and assisted by the late Biggie Zuze which won just 3 matches and drew 5 for a total of a meagre 14 points. This poor start would cost Samaita his job in September of the same year as the Glamour Boys hovered dangerously around the relegation zone.

Lloyd Mablanyo Chigowe was to take over from Mutasa with six matches to play to the end of the season and had an average return of 2 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses, in the process managing to steer Dynamos clear of the axe. That decent run would earn him the Dembare job on a substantive basis at the beginning of the 2019 season.

Sadly, Chigowe would fail to replicate his magic wand as he was fired in April after losing 3 successive matches while winning just one match from the first 4 league matches. The Dembare executive decided to give the reigns once again to Tonderai Ndiraya. The two coaches put up a total of 5 victories and 5 draws for a total of just 20 points from the first 15 matches.

The Covid-19 pandemic struck at the beginning of the 2020 season halting all football matches for that season and part of the 2021 one.

David Mandigora’s class of 2015 managed 27 points from its first 15 matches, 3 shy of the current Ndiraya side.

The current Ndiraya side also perfomed better that Italian Paulo Jorge Silva’s Dynamos of 2016 which won 7 matches and drew 4 matches for a total of 25 points.

The current Ndiraya side even has the luxury of an outstanding match not yet credited to their statistics, that is the abandoned blockbuster tie against Highlanders at Barbourfields which is set to be decided in the boardroom. By precedence however, Dynamos are most likely going to lose the 3 points to highlanders but this will not affect their total number of points in the first 15 matches of the season.

So contrary to popular belief about poor results, Ndiraya’s Dynamos has actually done very well putting up the second best start to a season by Dynamos teams in the last 10 seasons.

P W D L F A Pts
1 Dynamos 2012 15 10 3 2 28 9 33
2 **Dynamos 2022 14 9 3 2 17 6 30
3 Dynamos 2017 15 9 2 4 24 13 29
4 Dynamos 2013 15 7 7 1 23 9 28
5 Dynamos 2014 15 8 3 4 14 8 27
6 Dynamos 2015 15 7 6 2 15 10 27
7 Dynamos 2011 15 7 4 4 16 8 25
8 Dynamos 2016 15 7 4 4 12 9 25
9 Dynamos 2019 15 5 5 5 10 11 20
10 Dynamos 2018 15 3 5 7 11 18 14

**Match Abandoned And Yet To Be Decided

Umbro Muzadzi Collapses At Baobab

DYNAMOS FC Assistant coach Gift ‘Umbro” Muzadzi has reportedly collapsed at Baobab Stadium in Ngezi this afternoon.

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He has since been rushed to hospital.

The unfortunate incident happened as Dembare had just arrived at the stadium for their Chibuku Supercup quarter final clash against Black Rhinos scheduled for 3pm.

Makanda Finally Bleeds Blue

FORMER Highlanders forward, Tinashe Makanda (pictured centre), says Dynamos are one of the biggest clubs in Africa.

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He feels he couldn’t resist the Glamour Boys’ offer when they came knocking on his door since this represents a huge leap in his career.

The 26-year-old striker had been a free agent since the expiry of his contract with Bosso in July last year.

“I am very happy to join Dynamos. Hopefully, it’s going to be a fruitful season and I look forward to achieving the best results,’’ he said.

“I would like to thank the coaches, and the management, for giving me the opportunity to play for one of the biggest clubs on the continent.’’

The forward signed a one-year deal with the option for renewal.

Makanda has been under the DeMbare radar since last year.

He is one of the five players who were unveiled by the Glamour Boys this week.

“It was not an easy decision. As you know, I had become part and parcel of the Highlanders family, during my stay there,’’ he said.

“The club helped me a lot to be a better player.

“It was also not easy to leave the Highlanders supporters, who have been very supportive.

“I would like to thank Bosso, their supporters and staff, for grooming me and helping me showcase my talents.

“Unfortunately, I have to move, in life you have to embrace new challenges.”

Makanda’s manager, Trust Nyambiya, said the move to DeMbare was the best for the player.

“Football is not just a sport for these footballers, they have families to feed, sometimes it’s all about following the best offers.

“This move is like moving from a cottage into the main house.

“That is to say your life has changed. The boy is happy to join the biggest club in Zimbabwe,” said Nyambiya.

The player ignited a social media storm in October last year after he signed a pre-contract with Dynamos.

The move was aborted as clubs battled to get direction on the status of the contracts, which expired during the coronavirus pandemic, when no football was being played.

Nyambiya said they were clear that the contract with Bosso had expired and they were looking for more options in Zambia and Tanzania.

“There is a difference between a deal and a pre-contract. We signed a pre-contract with Dynamos (late last year) which remained open to seek more opportunities outside Zimbabwe.

“There was a chance to move outside but Highlanders failed to produce his clearance on time citing that he lost their playing kits of 2018.

“So, they wanted to be refunded for that, which we did the day after the announcement of the lockdown.

“From there, we have been asking for the release letter but they have been saying their offices were closed,” said Nyambiya.

Makanda, who also once had a stint with Stellenbosch FC in South Africa, is one of the five players unveiled by Dynamos this week.

Dynamos Set To Sign More Players

AFTER signing and releasing players en-masse in preparation for the aborted 2020 Premiership football season early this year, Dynamos are planning to sign more new players ahead of the 2021 season.

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The Harare giants, who are enjoying a purple patch in terms of getting corporate partners, were looking forward to a fruitful campaign having taken aboard more than 11 new signings but the 2020 term was washed away by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Instead the players were given individual programmes to follow while at home before they resumed training as a group in October in anticipation of a proposed mini-tournament that had been scheduled for this month but failed to take off.

While the DeMbare technical team expressed satisfaction with the team that they have at their disposal, they feel there is still need to reinforce some areas, especially in attack.

Assistant coach Gift “Umbro” Muzadzi confirmed the team was in negotiations with three players who they want to take on board.

“We are happy with the charges we have in our books but a lot has changed during the inactive year and we also need to change,” said Muzadzi.

“We are dropping some players and obviously we need replacements.

“At the moment, we are busy negotiating with our targets. We should say, we have agreed in principle and it’s now a matter of tying the loose ends to the deals.

“We have to drop some players to accommodate the incoming ones. We know we had assembled a good team before the new coronavirus epidemic hit us.

“We needed to make a statement but life is like that. We need to redo everything and try to adjust where we can and move forward.

“Very soon we will be revealing the names of the players who we are negotiating with.

“The deals are on but we believe that naming the players at this juncture could jeopardise our negotiations.

“But the bottom line is we are signing more new players.”

While the former champions have added reliable players in virtually every position, it is in attack where they haven’t been able to secure proven goal scorers.

David Temwanjera, who they signed from ZPC Kariba, appears to have seen his better days as a striker while Cameroonian Albert Eonde, who they plucked from FC Platinum, failed to make an impact at the Zvishavane side.

“We have signed two new strikers in Temwanjera (David) and Eonde (Albert) but we still need some more players to develop depth in the department.

“We can play beautiful football but what brings results are the goals. We need to have those players who can score so we have been unrelenting in our quest to get good strikers and we may add other forwards, too.

“Football is about winning games and we need to have good strikers who can complete the whole process,” Muzadzi said.

With goalkeeper Simba Chinani not yet committed to the team, Dynamos are also understood to be tracking down Ngezi Platinum Stars goalie, Nelson Chadya.

Chinani’s contract with the Glamour Boys ended in June and the goalkeeper appeared well on his way to join South Africa Premiership returnees Moroka Swallows but the deal appears dead and buried after he failed to impress in trials.

Dynamos have opened talks with him (Chinani) but their prime target appears to be Chadya whose contract with Ngezi runs out on Thursday.

Chadya is reluctant to renew his stay in Mhondoro and could be one of the players to join Dynamos at the beginning of 2021.

Tonderai Ndiraya’s charges begin the 2021 pre-season this January ahead of the start of the football term which has tentatively been set for February.

More Dembare Legends Get Replica Jerseys

DYNAMOS Football Club continued honouring its former players with three club legends receiving the official LOOKS replica jerseys at a brief function at Betta Ball Sports Shop in Harare this morning.

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The country’s biggest and most successful club recently signed a three-year kit sponsorship deal with a UK-based sports equipment and apparel manufacturer, On The Ball LOOKS.

The partnership will see the England-based sportswear manufacturer supplying DeMbare with playing kits, training kits, travelling gear, club replicas and merchandise.

The replica jerseys have since been delivered to the market and are selling at US$35 each from Betta Ball Sports Shop in Harare as well as iSport Sports Shop in Bulawayo.

Fans all over the world can purchase their replicas online on www.otblooks.com.

Stanley Chirambaradare (pictured second from right), better known as Samora, a renowned left-back famous for his overlapping runs and booming shots between 1986 and 1991 was the first to be presented with a replica jersey today.

Next to be presented with a club replica jersey was former midfield enforcer and dead ball specialist Elvis Chuchu Chiweshe (pictured second from left).

Chuchu joined Dynamos in 1984 from the now defunct Eagles and retired from playing football in 1995. As a player he won several league titles with Dynamos and as a coach he led the Glamour Boys to the mini league of the CAF Champions League in 2010.

Last to receive his replica was wing wizard and star of the famed Kidznet cast Samson Choruwa (pictured centre).

Choruwa was arguably the most talented player of his generation, he signed a contract with Dynamos from Glen View High 2.

He would later be sent to Churchill from where he easily graduated into the Dynamos team. Unfortunately, a nasty injury in 2002 cut short his blossoming career.

The three expressed their appreciation to the Dynamos Executive for remembering them with these tokens even now when their playing careers are over.

Already, Dynamos has presented replica jerseys to other former players Desmond Maringwa, Thomas Sweswe, Murape Murape, Norman Maroto and Stanley Marunza.

Arguably Dembare’s most popular former player Moses Chunga’s jersey is ready for handover from Betta Ball Sports Shop and will be presented to him anytime he shows up.

**In the photo above, the 3 former players are flanked by 2 other former players, Ernest Chirambadare (left0 and Stanley Marunza (right)

Dynamos Beat Zimbabwe Warriors In Friendly

Harare giants Dynamos overcame the Zimbabwe national team 3-2 in a friendly match played at the National Sports Stadium this afternoon.

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Cameroonian import Albert Eonde was the hero of the show after grabbing a hattrick for the Glamour Boys while Tafadzwa Jaravani and Chirinda replied for the Warriors.

Dembare led 3-0 at halftime.

Interestingly, Dynamos coach Tonderai Ndiraya was in the Warriors dugout as co-assistant to Zdravko Logarusic together with Lloyd Chitembwe. Ndiraya’s assistant at Dynamos, Naison Muchekela took charge of the Boys In Blue.

Logarusic is preparing his men for the upcoming CHAN tournament to be held between the 16th of January 16 and the 7th of February 2020 in Cameroon.

DYNAMOS STARTING XI

  1. Tymon Mvula
  2. Emmanuel jalai
  3. Tinotenda Muringai
  4. Sylvester Appiah
  5. Munyaradzi Mawadza
  6. Ali-Joseph Maliselo
  7. Barnabas Mushunje
  8. Jarrison Selemani
  9. Albert Eonde
  10. Juansmith Mutudza
  11. Tanaka Chidhobha

Despite Inaction, 2020 An Eventful Year For Dynamos

IT has been a very productive year for Harare giants Dynamos FC despite the 2020 Premiership season having been wiped out by the Covid-19 pandemic, a raging ailment that has also claimed several lives in the football fraternity.

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The Glamour Boys have struggled to make an impact on the field of play in the past two seasons spending the better parts of the terms battling for their lives.

But coach Tonderai Ndiraya had assembled a strong-looking side early this year with the former Ngezi Platinum Stars gaffer drafting in more than 11 new players before the season was called off due to the pandemic.

While the year has largely been quiet due to lack of field action, Dynamos took advantage of the lull to put their structures in order and fill several Club Licensing gaps.

While other teams like CAPS United have lost their principal sponsors due to the Covid-19-induced hardships, Dynamos have managed to retain their financial partners, Gold Leaf Tobacco, while welcoming a US$300 000 kit sponsorship deal with Looks as well.

Instead of giving excuses like their counterparts, Dynamos have embarked on several outreach programmes, keeping their vibe and relationship with their supporters intact.

Dynamos Marketing And Communications Manager Yvonne Mangunda (pictured), said her team saw a window of opportunity to enhance their visibility even at a time when the game is not active.

“We have had several community outreach programmes during this lockdown. In our effort to support the Mbare Community, we partnered with our all-weather sponsors Gold Leaf Tobacco to donate food hampers to the needy member of that community,” said Mangunda.

“We have had so many initiatives, doing outreach programmes in Tynwald, Budiriro and Msasa. Just last weekend we also provided some section of our supporters in Glen Norah, who identify themselves as “MaDembare,” with some kits  while they go about their hairdressing business.

“Basically, we realised that Dynamos is a big club and they have a lot of supporters in all parts of the country who we know have been deprived of action for the whole of the year so this is just a way to remind them that we are still there and we value them. We have decided to keep in touch with them.

“We have always and will always try to reach out to our supporters so that we remain in touch at a time when we are not able to meet them at the stadiums.

“In all these outreach programmes, we have tried to give our fans the opportunity to interact with the players so that we build and enhance the bond that exists between these two inseparable sets of people.

“A lot has happened at Dynamos but we are in that phase where things have taken a different direction with the current administration which we have at Dynamos at the moment. A lot has been said about the team and a lot has happened too but in the last two years, things have taken a different direction and more is still to come.

“We appreciate our supporters and the people in general. You may have seen that we have tried to give some of our legends the replicas which are on sale throughout the country right now just as a way to appreciate them. We have given the replicas to the likes of Desmond Maringwa and Murape Murape, among others. Our legends are still part of us, they are still part of the family and we value their input,” Mangunda said.

Dynamos’ partnership with Belgian side KV Mechelen has also seen them receiving top-of-the range scientific equipment to be used in training.