Battle of Zimbabwe explodes in Mbare

Langton Nyakwenda

Zimpapers Sports Hub

FORMER Dynamos president Solomon Sanyamandwe has been doing a lot of thinking lately, reflecting on the dire state of the ailing Harare giants, a club he once tried to resuscitate.

He speaks often of the Dynamos he once envisioned, a version of the club that could have been, had he been granted the time and space to implement his ideas.

“I imagined a Dynamos that had real financial power, a Dynamos that would thrive on its huge numbers,” Sanyamandwe told Zimpapers Sports Hub last week.

He added with palpable frustration: “By now, Dynamos would have sports shops, sports bars and other vibrant revenue streams.”

Since stepping down in January 2019, just six months after replacing Keni Mubaiwa, the man who oversaw four straight league titles between 2011 and 2014, he has largely stayed out of the limelight.

But the signs of decline were already there when he left. In 2018, Dynamos barely survived relegation, finishing just six points above Nichrut, who occupied the last relegation slot.

The following season, under chairperson Isaiah Mupfurutsa, DeMbare only managed four more points than relegated Chapungu United. There was a fleeting moment of resurgence in the 2021/2022 campaign when Dynamos finished third, but even then, they lagged a massive 17 points behind champions FC Platinum. Under current chairperson Moses Maunganidze, the Harare giants have managed to lift the Chibuku Super Cup twice.

But their league form has grown toxic, almost a health hazard, for their ever-hopeful supporters.

This season, it has been a bitter pill to swallow for the club’s mythical seven million fans. Dynamos have just one win in 13 matches; that is, a win rate of 7,7 percent. They have scored only four goals and conceded 10.

Their form over the last five games is second worst in the league, only slightly better than rock-bottom Kwekwe United, just two points out of a possible 15. That is a dismal 13 percent success rate. This is the mess Dynamos find themselves in as they brace for yet another chapter of the Battle of Zimbabwe, a clash against their eternal rivals Highlanders, set for Rufaro Stadium this afternoon.

Bosso, making their second trip to the capital this season, arrive on the back of two consecutive losses, first to ZPC Kariba at Nyamhunga, then to Herentals at Barbourfields Stadium last weekend.

Yet they sit a comfortable nine points ahead of Dynamos, who themselves fell 1-2 to Ngezi Platinum Stars at Baobab Stadium last Sunday.

Dynamos’ newly appointed head coach, Saul Chaminuka, has been tasked with breathing life into a club that looks more like a shadow of its former self.

But so far, the veteran gaffer is yet to taste victory since assuming the role on May 14.

He has overseen a 1-1 draw in the Harare Derby against CAPS United and last weekend’s loss in Mhondoro. Still, Chaminuka remains optimistic.

“The team is work in progress, and we just need to keep working, polishing up the rough edges, and we can start to get going,” he said last week. He added: “We are not very far from where we want to be. But at times, we just need to grind out the results where we can.”

Grinding out results will be crucial, especially against a side like Highlanders.

Last season, Dynamos fell 0-2 to Bosso at Rufaro, in front of a 9 100 strong crowd.

Today’s turnout may dwindle, though.

There is a growing wave of discontent within the Dynamos fan base, with several influential supporter groups calling for a boycott of the match. The frustrations are warranted. There are outstanding signing-on fees and unpaid winning bonuses, some dating back to last season.

The situation worsened last week when FIFA slapped Dynamos with a transfer ban for failing to pay a combined US$18 500 owed to two Ghanaian imports — Emmanuel Paga and Frederick Ansa Botchway.

Until that debt is cleared, DeMbare cannot dip into the transfer market. Yet, when Dynamos meet Highlanders, the stakes transcend current form. These battles are seismic. Fierce. Relentless. Emotional.

Bosso head coach Kelvin Kaindu captured it perfectly: “This is not just a game. This is a big game. You can feel it in the dressing room. The boys are pushing hard; everyone wants to be part of the team. There is tension, hunger, fire. This fixture is different. It comes with pride. It comes with pressure. It’s a battle that lifts players. It wakes up giants.”

Kaindu knows the weight of this rivalry.

Highlanders have managed just one league win over Dynamos in Harare since 2018.

But that lone win came last season, a 2-0 statement that Kaindu believes his team can replicate.

Eyes will be firmly fixed on the Mushore brothers, Mason and McKinnon, who have lit up Bosso’s midfield with top-drawer performances in recent weeks.

At the back, Arthur Ndlovu has quietly established himself as a rock.

For Dynamos, Telmore Pio’s relentless work ethic in midfield could be a catalyst, while skipper Emmanuel Jalai is expected to anchor the right flank with his usual discipline and drive.

Jalai’s role today is particularly crucial; immediately after the match, he is set to join the Warriors squad departing for Morocco.

That is why kickoff is scheduled earlier than usual, at 2pm.

Zimbabwe’s national team is gearing up for two international friendlies this week, against Burkina Faso and Niger. But before that, local pride is on the line.

The Battle of Zimbabwe is more than a football match, it is a cultural spectacle, a showdown steeped in history, bruised egos and raw passion.