adminLangton Nyakwenda-Sports Reporter
HIS eloquence and propensity for some deep English vocabulary, spiced up with timely jokes, is something that the local Premiership might have been missing.
Well, Lloyd “MaBlanyo” Chigowe is back in the driving seat at Dynamos, albeit on an interim basis, following the departure of Genesis Mangombe.
Chigowe is back for a second stint at DeMbare, and once again, it could be another stop gap measure.
But local football followers can brace themselves for another dosage of nuggets from Chigowe, who begins his latest reign with a tough task against Simba Bhora at Barbourfields on Saturday.
After playing high-riding Simba Bhora, DeMbare will face ZESCO United in back-to-back CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round matches in Botswana and Zambia.
It’s a different start to the one he had back in September 2018, when he was first appointed interim Dynamos gaffer, following the axing of Lloyd Mutasa.
Back then, his task was to save Dynamos from relegation. This time he has to navigate through the African jungle.
Soon after assuming the reigns from Mutasa, in 2018, Chigowe told DeMbare players to be “hyper-critical”.
He dropped another interesting line, in an attempt to call an errant Denver Mukamba back to order.
“When (Mukamba) behaves like the other 28 registered players, he will be considered but if he wants to play the prima donna then we will not demoralise the whole team because of one man,” charged Chigowe.
Prima donna, humdinger, and methodology are some of the words Chigowe throws around with ease.
After saving Dynamos from relegation at the end of the 2018 season, Chigowe was confirmed and was given the task of assembling a competitive team for the 2019 season.
“I have assembled a group of tigers,” Chigowe told the media, in the run-up to the 2019 season. He also drew attention when he opined that Dynamos needed to have more players from Mbare, and to a certain extent Highfield.
“Such a Dynamos (without Mbare players) cannot be called DeMbare,” said Chigowe in January 2019.
He added: “It’s not accidental that we have the bulk of the players coming from Mbare and Highfield.
“We want players who feel at home when they are playing at Rufaro, not players who will be away from home and are afraid of the fans when they are playing in Mbare.”
Interestingly, Chigowe studied journalism and had an attachment stint at The Herald in 1990. Apart from his CAF A coaching Licence, Chigowe also holds Diplomas in Human Resource Management and Business Administration.
He took charge of 10 league games in his last spell in charge of DeMbare and could preside over 12 this time.
The tall and slim coach saved DeMbare from relegation after managing three wins, two draws, and as many losses as Dynamos lost seven games of that season.
Sadly, he lasted only three games of the 2019 season, as he was sacked on April 23, after Dynamos had suffered three losses in their opening fixtures.
Tonderai Ndiraya took over until the end of the 2022 season. Ndiraya was replaced by Herbert “Jompano” Maruwa, whose tenure lasted until August 8, 2023.
Coincidentally, Maruwa’s successor Genesis Mangombe, has also been fired in August.
And Chigowe is “back to save the situation”.
He has the full support of the club’s executive, according to Dynamos chairman Moses Maunganidze.
“Even if we wanted to bring in a foreign coach the due processes to be followed for him to get a work permit will be completed way after the CAF preliminary rounds.
“We have not defined Chigowe’s reign in terms of time-lines, we need to support him fully during his tenure as the acting head coach and any changes will be communicated at the right time,” said Maunganidze.
Online Reporter