Author: True Blue

TYMON MVULA PAYS TRIBUTE TO JUNIORS’ COACH

DYNAMOS FC prospective number one goalkeeper for the forthcoming season Taimon Mvula, has paid tribute to his junior coach Zibonele Ncube.

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Mvula who joined DeMbare from Hwange FC at the beginning of the year, remembers the slap he got from his coach after straying while courting a girl’s favour.

“We were travelling to play in Hwange when I admired a passing girl and I followed her. Ncube and the team manager found me absent.

“When they asked where I was, my teammates said I had followed a girl. When I came back jogging, the coach asked me where I was and, as I was about to tell a lie, he slapped me in public,” said Mvula.

The goalkeeper said after being slapped in public, he tried to leave but Ncube insisted that he (Mvula) would be in goal despite being in an angry mood.

The team lost 5-3.

“After the match Ncube came to me and said he wanted me to go far in my football career.

“I met him when I was with Hwange and he reminded me of the incident and his words. He said he was moulding me into a great player,” said the Victoria Falls born star who attended Chinotimba Primary School and Mosi Oa Tunya Secondary School.

Mvula started at Victoria Falls junior club Super Eagles before graduating to the Division Two senior side.

He later graduated to Division One side Victoria Falls United who released him to Hwange Juniors.

He later was promoted to deputise, Timothy Sibanda, the son of legendary Wankie FC, Chibuku Shumba and Rhodesia goalkeeper Posani.

“The person who inspired me in football is Wellington Majazi, the former Intundla goalkeeper,” said the 27-year-old goal minder who is at the prime of his career.

Mvula who regards Ncube as one of the best coaches he has worked with, said he had left Hwange in pursuit of new challenges.

“As a Victoria Falls lad, Hwange was not my final destination,” declared Mvula who played junior football with former Bosso striker Nhlanhla Ndlovu, Sipho Ndlovu of Chicken Inn and FC Platinum’s Gift Mbweti.

Mvula is among the 2020 season’s acquisition expected to turn around the fortunes of the country’s most successful club Dynamos.

He is touted as a national team prospect.

FLASHBACK : Dynamos Fans Perish In Road Accident

Saturday 11 June 2016
SEVEN Dynamos Football Club supporters perished on the spot and 16 were seriously injured when an Iveco Sprinter they were travelling in burst a rear tyre, veered off the road and rolled three times in Battlefields on the Harare-Bulawayo Highway early this morning.

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They were travelling to Gweru where Dynamos played Chapungu at Ascot Stadium.

Twelve of the injured were taken to Kwekwe General Hospital and four to Kadoma Hospital.

Police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi said the frequency of accidents caused by tyre bursts was alarming.

“We can confirm that seven people died on the spot and the accident occurred at the 173km peg between Kadoma and Kwekwe near ZRP Battlefields.

“As police we are concerned with the frequency of these accidents and we are urging motorists to check the expiry dates of their tyres. Motorists should also desist from using second-hand tyres; it gets worse if the vehicle is travelling a long distance.”

Sport and Recreation Minister Makhosini Hlongwane sent his condolences to the bereaved families.

“The Minister of Sport and Recreation is shocked by the loss of lives of Dynamos supporters who perished (yesterday) at Battlefields on their way to the Dynamos-Chapungu match in Gweru. The minister conveys profound sympathies to the families for the loss and condolences with them during this very difficult time,” he said in a statement.

National Football Association of Zimbabwe president Dr Philip Chiyangwa said it was a dark day for football.

“We are in mourning, our hearts are bleeding. Fans are the ones who make football beautiful and losing some of them in this manner is really painful.

‘‘Our prayers are with the bereaved families and we will see how we can assist them,” he said.

Dynamos president Mr Kenias Mubaiwa, who rushed to the scene of the accident, said: “This is very painful, we are pained. This is a major setback not only to the Dynamos family but the national football family as a whole.

“As Dynamos we will assist the bereaved families as well as support those injured.”

Premier Soccer League chairman Mr Peter Dube urged the football family to unite and pay tribute to the departed supporters.

“We are shocked by the deaths and as a league we feel pained that people who were travelling to watch a soccer match met their fate in such a painful manner. Our deepest thoughts are with the bereaved families and we pray that they find strength in the Lord.

“We are appealing to all football fans to unite in this sad hour and paid tribute to these Dynamos supporters,” said Mr Dube.

Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters Association life president Mr Eddie “Mboma” Nyatanga appealed to football authorities to provide funeral assistance.

“This is a very sad day for football, what is worse is that the accident happened at a time the fans are in a celebratory mood following the Warriors’ qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations finals last Sunday.

“As the Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters, we are calling on the football family to unite in mourning these gallant Dynamos supporters.

“This is not a Dynamos funeral, it’s a national football disaster and we are urging the Premier Soccer League and the National Football Association of Zimbabwe to assist the bereaved families.”

Dembare Want Authority Over Club Merchandise

DYNAMOS Football Club, who are undergoing a professional revolution, are putting in place stringent logistical requirements that will see them tapping all revenue streams into the club coffers..

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Club Chairman Isaiah Mupfurutsa confirmed that they are in the process of finalising some copyright issues which will give them absolute authority to own all club merchandise.

The Harare giants have since set up a stand-alone commercial division that will oversee and try to exploit all available income-generating channels, including the sale of merchandise.

The Glamour Boys, the country’s most-supported football club, haven’t been cashing in on their fan base as some enterprising people have, instead, filled that gap over the years.

By their admission, DeMbare have lost millions of dollars in potential revenue from the sale of merchandise over the years.

They have only been getting income from sponsorship, and gate takings, which is usually consumed by other costs, including stadium hire, as well as mandatory payments to ZIFA, PSL and other service providers.

But, the former champions who, of late, have been desperate to transform the way they run their club, seem to have awoken from their lengthy slumber.

“We have realised we have been losing a lot in potential revenue as we have not explored this avenue,” said Mupfurutsa.

“We have a bulging fan base yet we haven’t converted that loyalty into big business.

“What a business needs is loyalty first, and we have that but, we have lacked ways of harnessing all that into revenue.

“We have a five-year plan that runs between now and 2025 in which we are planning to transform the team into a mega-project.

“We are working on establishing a commercial division which will be responsible for driving our business. We are starting by establishing a good team with a sound junior policy and ensure we produce results, which is the prime factor that brings supporters to the club.

“We will, in the near future, partner big shops to sell our merchandise. We are setting up sound distribution channels to ensure that everyone, who needs a Dynamos piece, gets it.’’

He said vendors who sell counterfeit products with the team’s logos have been a threat to their enterprise over the years.

“Of course, those (vendors) have posed a huge threat, but we cannot entirely blame them as we have not been doing what we are supposed to do as a club,’’ he said.

“We have not been providing what our fans want and those vendors have merely moved in to fill that gap which we have created as a team.

“We have now opened our eyes and decided to establish ourselves in the business world. We know our fans are loyal and they will come in and support us.

Mupfurutsa said in the long run, the club will also partner other companies, and also ensure they have mobile shops, to cater for those who want to buy their merchandise at stadiums.

Dembare Take Leading Role In Club Licensing Requirements

DYNAMOS were yesterday morning conducting a virtual executive conference as they are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to professionalise their operations.

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The Premiership football giants have silently been addressing their flaws to comply with Club Licensing requirements.

Virtually all Premiership teams had huge Club Licensing gaps last season and with ZIFA urging them to play their part in addressing that, DeMbare seem to have taken a leading role.

Club executive chairman, Isaiah Mupfurutsa, said Dynamos were doing everything to make sure they were in compliance with Club Licensing requirements by the time the 2020 season kicks off.

The delayed term has been provisionally scheduled to commence in August/September.

“As a club, we have been trying to play our role to conform with Club Licensing issues.

“It is always right to do the right thing. That is what we are aiming,” Mupfurutsa said. “Look, we set down as a team and decided to look at it that way. You can never be a professional team if you do not want to behave professionally.

“This is one area we have been looking at. We have the potential to become a magnificent club if we do our things in a professional way. So Club Licensing is one way to address professionalism.”

Club Licensing requires teams to have a professional set up with vibrant junior structures in place as well as proper administrative organisation, legal and financial frameworks.

The Glamour Boys have already set a feeder side, the Under-19 team which play in the Division Two.

They have activated their systems to include fully-fledged junior structures and they have already recruited qualified coaches for the initiative.

“For years, we have been running the senior team only but, the problem has always been the same. We have had to go out of our way to replace those who would have left the club as we didn’t have proper structures in our development programme.

“Now, we have moved to address that. Club Licensing is helpful. It isn’t a punishment but a proper way of professionalising the running of the teams.

“Instead of us always looking to buy players, we will be the ones selling players and the business will be lucrative.

“Gone are the days when football was for fun, now it is a mega business and we ought to reflect that in how we operate,” Mupfurutsa said.

Unlike in the past when Dynamos were notorious for dumping players in time of need especially when they suffer injuries, Dynamos have shown to be a changed lot as they went out of their way to make sure captain Partson Jaure got treated after he was involved in an accident back in March.

Jaure is recovering at home and he is expected to be fully fit when the season is finally allowed to kick-off.

“We have put in place proper administrative structures with clearly defined roles for each member.

“The financial aspect comes with good corporate governance which is what we are thriving to do.

“We will continue addressing all the other aspects of Club Licensing to fully comply and professionalise our operations as a club,” Mupfurutsa added.

Dembare Merchandise Deal Goes Into Motion

The operationalisation of the four-year sales agreement between Dynamos Football Club and their anchor sponsor Remmington Gold has kicked off

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The deal was launched in February and the two parties have confirmed, through an official statement, that the deal is now fully operational.

The development comes at a time Dynamos have begun steps to commercialise and widen their revenue streams beyond gate revenue.

Dynamos, just like all the local teams, have had to endure months without any gate-takings as action was halted owing to the pandemic that forced a stop to global sporting action.

But before the Covid-19 outbreak, Dynamos had begun exploring ways to enhance brand visibility through merchandise sales, particularly the club’s replica jerseys and branded shirts.

“The sale of our merchandise has kicked off,” read part of the statement.

“Dynamos Football Club and their main sponsors Remington Gold are glad to announce the operationalisation of our four-year sales relationship agreement, which was concluded in February 2020.

“The two partners agreed that they shall, during the subsistence of the agreement, distribute, through their supporters’ structures, the official club merchandise and or paraphernalia and Remington Gold products in Zimbabwe and beyond the borders.

“The products, which shall be sold to the club’s fans and the general public, shall be distributed through designated distribution agents comprising, but not limited to the following: sports shops, restaurants and food courts, service stations, licensed vendors, departmental/chain stores, wholesalers and club offices.”

While Dynamos’ official home and away shirts will be on sale when the season gets underway, merchandise like royal blue supporters’ shirts (pictured) are already on sale at US$10.

Dynamos spokesperson Tinashe Farawo explained further details of the merchandise deal.

“The first batch of official club merchandise comprising royal blue supporters’ shirts shall be sold at your nearest distribution agent designated by the club.

“Each original supporters’ shirt shall be sold for a special price of US$10.

“More merchandise, including the official 2020 season home and away playing shirts, shall be going on sale as soon as the season gets underway,” Farawo said.

Dynamos and fellow traditional giants Highlanders and CAPS United have constantly been urged to lead the way in becoming commercial ventures in line with global football trends.

Without official club replicas and branded shirts, caps, scarves and other merchandise, Dynamos fans have had to find their identity in replicas of international clubs such as Chelsea who wear similar colours.

Farawo, however, believes the Premiership giants can only build from the steps they have taken through their partnership with Remington Gold, which includes their supporters across the country.

Murwira Discharged From Hospital After Successful Operation

Versatile utility player Godknows Murwira underwent a successful operation of his troublesome knee at a local hospital and was discharged yesterday.

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The developments will certainly cheer the Dynamos family as the club went out of its way to fund the whole process

Murwira, who injured his knee late last year before the injury worsened during pre-season, went under the knife on Friday and will now need between six to eight weeks to fully recover.

The 26-year-old on-loan Murwira had been ruled out for the first half of the 2020 Premiership season.

However, the beginning of the competition was shelved due to the coronavirus and chances are now high the midfielder will be fit by the time the league kicks off.

ZIFA have set August/September as tentative kick-off dates.

With Murwira now on the path to recovery, the Harare giants’ camp was in high spirits yesterday.

“We are glad to announce that our player Godknows Murwira has been released from hospital after undergoing a successful knee operation,” Dynamos spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said yesterday

“The doctors are saying it will take at least six weeks for him to recover and we are hoping for the best.”

The Dynamos Executive led by banker Isaiah Mupfurutsa have brought a wholesome professional touch to the Harare giants, previously notorious for neglecting injured players.

A few days ago, Mupfurutsa had promised that they had booked Murwira for a knee operation at a local hospital.

True to their word, the process has been done.

Only recently, the club took full responsiblity for captain Partson Jaure’s medical expenses after he was injured in a road accident in March.

Dembare Best Of Them All

THEY might have been trapped in mediocrity in the past half-a-dozen years, in which they have even battled relegation but, over the course of the domestic Premiership, they remain the dominant football beast around.

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It was the same case in the pre-Independence era, when Dynamos were crowned champions five times in 1963, 1965, 1970, 1976 and 1978.

The closest the opposition came to competing against them were Bulawayo Rovers, with two league titles in 1962 and 1964, Bulawayo Sables in 1968 and 1969, and Salisbury Sables in 1972 and 1974.

The others were just one-off winners of the league championship during that period.

St Paul’s Musami won in 1966, Tornadoes in 1967, Arcadia United in 1971, Metal Box in 1973, Chibuku in 1975, Zimbabwe Saints in 1977 and CAPS United in 1979.

The dominance reached another level in the first decade after Independence as the Glamour Boys won the first four league titles before taking their number of championships, during that period alone, to seven in 10 years.

Only Black Rhinos, who won twice in 1984 and 1987, having to pluck some of the best players from both DeMbare and CAPS United to provide the foundation of their challenge, and Zimbabwe Saints, who won once in 1988, prevented a clean sweep.

The opposition offered a better challenge in the ‘90s, especially after Highlanders came of age and found a way to win their first league title in 1990, with Bosso taking home three championships that decade.

They won in 1990, 1993 and 1998/1999.

Black Aces, with one championship in 1992, and CAPS United, with another league title in 1996 — their first since Independence — took the other honours but, once again, the decade belonged to the dominant beast.

DeMbare won four league championships in 1991, 1994, 1995 and 1997.

However, the new decade came with huge challenges for the Glamour Boys who were forced, for the first time in their history, to watch from a distance as others feasted on the honour that comes with being champions.

A resurgent Bosso won the first three league championships in 2000, 2001 and 2002 before being pipped in the 2003 marathon by Amazulu in a tight contest decided by just a point.

CAPS United, under Charles Mhlauri’s version of total football, won back-to-back league titles in 2004, in record-breaking fashion, and 2005, when they beat the challenge of a self-destructing Masvingo United on the final day of the season.

Bosso were back in business in 2006, their fourth league title during that decade, before DeMbare, under the guidance of David Mandigora, found a way back into the light by ending a barren 10-year-wait for glory.

Edward Sadomba was one of the stars of that campaign.

It remained the only league championship the Glamour Boys won in the first decade of the new millennium.

They finished second in 2008, when outsiders Monomotapa won their only championship, and second again in 2009, when outsiders Gunners won their only league title.

The last decade started with DeMbare again finishing second, to Motor Action, in 2010 before Callisto Pasuwa changed the script for them as they transformed themselves into champions in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Three of those titles were won by superior goal difference, twice getting the better of Bosso simply because they had managed to balance the goals they scored, and those they conceded, better than their bitter rivals.

All those four league titles were confirmed on the final day of the season and the final two championships were won, with a little helping hand in the drama of that Super Sunday, from CAPS United who destroyed the dreams of Harare City and ZPC Kariba in successive years.

While DeMbare haven’t won the league championship for six years, and the battles in the era of the domestic Premiership, which got underway in 1993, have been closer than in the old Super League, the Glamour Boys still remain the dominant football beast around.

It’s a measure of their pedigree that, in an era when they went 10 years without winning the league championship between 1997 and 2007, they still have the best return, in terms of titles won, since the dawn of the domestic Premiership.

The Glamour Boys have won eight league championships, during this era, in 1994, 1995, 1997, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 and that give them top spot.

Bosso have won six league championships, during this era, in 1993, 1998/1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2006, and are in second spot.

CAPS United have won four league championships, during this period, in 1996, 2004, 2005 and 2016.

All the Green Machine championship-winning sides have featured Lloyd Chitembwe, either as a player in 1996, 2004 and 2005, or as a coach in 2016.

DeMbare’s best run, in terms of points, was when they finished with 71 points in 1998/1999 but, they didn’t win the league then, as they finished second behind Highlanders, just a point behind the eventual winners.

The only other time the Glamour Boys breached the 70-point mark was in 2017 but, again, they failed to win the league as they finished two points behind FC Platinum.

Mhlauri’s CAPS United set the benchmark, when it comes to points in winning the league championship, by taking their tally to 79 en-route to being champions in 2004.

They won 25 of their 30 games, again another record, drew four and lost just one, against Bosso at the National Sports Stadium in a seven-goal thriller.

Nothing puts the Green Machine’s incredible adventure that season than the fact that Highlanders could only pick 78 points, in winning the league, in the 38-game season at the turn of the millennium.

With a further 24 points to play with, from the extra eight games, Bosso could only take their tally to 78, a point less than what CAPS United amassed, in 30 games, in 2004.

But, the bragging rights remain with the old beast, DeMbare, who have accumulated 1439 points in the era of the Premiership, Bosso are in second place with 1380 points and CAPS United are in third place with 1316 points.

Even after being deducted six points for using Tendai Mwarura and Edmore Mufema in two separate seasons, the Glamour Boys still rule the roost.

DeMbare Set To Release Covid-19 Video

DYNAMOS Football Club have become the latest high-profile local football club to join the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic.

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The Glamour Boys are set to release a Covid-19 awareness video next week.

Zimbabwe, along with most of the countries across the world, is in a national lockdown as authorities battle to contain the spread of the epidemic.

Several football clubs, including those in South Africa, have since launched initiatives aimed at fighting the pandemic.

And Dynamos have seen it fit to join forces with other international partners to battle the pandemic.

Team spokesperson, Tinashe Farawo (pictured) says the video is just the start of the vast awareness initiatives that they will be carrying out.

“The coronavirus epidemic is real and ought to be given the special treatment it deserves,” Farawo said.

“The fight against the disease is everybody’s responsibility. People have to support the authorities in fighting the epidemic.’’

“As Dynamos Football Club, we know that our business is solely dependent on a healthy society.’’

‘‘Our business has been impacted upon big time and we know that the sooner this is contained, the better for our business.’’

“This is one of the many reasons why we have decided to join hands with some partners to spread awareness about the epidemic.’’

“As we speak, we have already done a video jingle, which will be released next week. Our players, as well as other stakeholders, feature in that video. It’s all about awareness.”

Farawo said the team wouldn’t rush into doing any fund-raising initiatives but, instead, saw it fit to use their influence to spread the word.

“Our power is in numbers and, since we are one of the biggest teams in the world, this has driven us to choose the awareness route.’’

‘‘We are urging every member of society to play their role in complementing authorities’ efforts to stop the spread of the virus.’’

“Depending on the time the coronavirus scourge will be upon us, we will always revise our intervention strategies but, certainly, we have to play a role in the fight against the ailment.”

The Glamour Boys join rivals Highlanders, who have since launched a crowd-funding initiative aimed at raising funds for one of the coronavirus isolation centres in Bulawayo.

Bosso have already raised a significant amount. “The crowd-funding initiative is aimed at raising money to be given to one of Bulawayo’s coronavirus isolation centres.

‘‘We call upon people, and other football clubs, to join hands with us. Together, we will win the war against this pandemic,” said club spokesperson Ronald Moyo.

While Bosso are making progress, DeMbare have sought to play their role by carrying out awareness campaigns.

Videos of Dynamos players, including newboys Juan Mutudza and King Nadolo, talking about the scourge, have since gone viral after being uploaded on the team’s digital platforms.

The start of the 2020 Premiership season was postponed due to the pandemic.

Glamour Girl Advocate

So Advocate Fadzai Mahere is a staunch Dynamos fan.

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The prominent lawyer and opposition activist revealed this in a Tweet yesterday where she posted a file photo of her flying the Dembare flag proudly.

She added a simple caption “Dembare”.

The Tweet elicited thousands of likes and responses from fellow Dembare fans, other teams’ fans and politicians alike.

Fadzai may have been looking forward to the start of the new football season that has however been shelved due to the ravages of the deadly Corona Virus.

DYNAMOS’ STATEMENT ON JAURE

DYNAMOS Football Club would like to inform the family of Dynamos that our captain for the 2020 season Partson Jaure was involved in a car accident early morning today and sustained head injuries.

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He is currently detained at Parirenyatwa Hospital where he is receiving specialist medical care in a private ward.

He sustained a head injury when he was involved in a car crash whilst driving home.

His condition is stable, he’s not on oxygen but not yet fully awake.

He will be assessed by a neurosurgeon to see the extent of the injury but he’s out of danger.

Isaiah Mupfurutsa

CHAIRMAN

(For and on behalf of Dynamos Football Club)