Chronicle Editor
Fungai Muderere, Senior Sports Reporter
FOOTBALL giants Dynamos will today march deep into the bowels of Botswana’s Gaborone National Stadium- to face ZESCO United of Zambia in a TotalEnergies Confederation Cup preliminary round first leg match that marks the Glamour Boys’ return to the jungles of African football after a decade of absence.
The last time Dynamos played in Africa was in March 2014, when they were knocked out of the Caf Champions League first round by DR Congo side, AS Vita.
DeMbare is entertaining ZESCO United in Gaborone because Zimbabwe does not have a stadium fit to host Caf organised matches and the Glamour Boys are not out there just to appease the emotions of their seven million supporters as they also want to make the nation proud.
However, it is their deficient performances in the local league that has sent tongues wagging with the local football fraternity wondering if the blue and white army will be able to clear the ZESCO United hurdle.
In 23 games they have played so far in the local elite football league, Dynamos has posted six wins against bottom five outfits Arenel Movers, Hwange, Chegutu Pirates, TelOne and 11th placed Greenfuel. In the period under review, the Harare giants have posted a massive 13 draws and four defeats meaning that from a possible 69 points, they have amassed 31, a development that speaks to a 45 percent success rate.
Leading to their much-awaited clash against ZESCO, DeMbare got four draws on the bounce and managed to get two wins from 10 outings.
In their last league match Dynamos drew 1-1 against Simba Bhora at Barbourfields Stadium, a result that further cemented that the boys in blue are just but a pale shadow of themselves.
As if that is enough, statistics reveal that Lloyd “MaBlanyo” Chigowe’s men have not scored more than one goal in 10 games managing to find the back of the net 20 times in 23 games (three were awarded for their abandoned match against Chegutu Pirates).
However, the outspoken Chigowe, who recently took over from Genesis Mangombe has refused to read much into that saying his boys are eager to make Zimbabwe proud.
“The boys are itching to get into the fight and everybody who has been selected is eager to prove a point. It has been a very long time since Dynamos played in Africa, so this is a momentous occasion. We are not only representing ourselves and the seven million souls, but the nation as whole because Dynamos are a football powerhouse.
We hope to acquit ourselves in this encounter against ZESCO so that we make Zimbabweans proud,” said Chigowe.
DeMbare got the sole ticket to represent the country in inter-club football after they won the 2023 Chibuku Super Cup.
While Dynamos’ last dance on the African stage was way back in 2014, ZESCO played in the 2022 Caf Confederation Cup when they were knocked out in the second preliminary round by Royal AM of South Africa. ZESCO United have qualified for the Caf Confederation Cup six times and their best run was a quarter-final berth in 2017.
They have qualified for the Caf Champions League on nine occasions and their best achievement was a semi-final place in 2016.
ZESCO United are second in the 2023/24 Zambian Super League, 12 points behind Red Arrows. DeMbare’s best performance in Africa was a final appearance against ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast back in 1998.
A decade later, the Harare giants reached the semis of the same competition. Dynamos and ZESCO are meeting in Africa for the first time.
ZESCO United’s Nigerian international defender and 2024 Access Bank/ZESCO United Player of the Season, Dennis Nya, has expressed his confidence in the team’s ability to compete against any opposition on the African stage. Speaking to Zambian media Nya said: “ZESCO United is a big team that can handle any team.”
His statement reflects the team’s growing ambition and determination to make a mark in continental football.
The return leg will be played at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, Zambia, next weekend. -@FungaiMuderere
Online Reporter