Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports Hub
CHAOTIC Dynamos have scored a bureaucratic own goal, and the Harare giants conspired to embarrass the nation, and themselves when ejected from the CAF Confederation Cup draw in Cairo, Egypt, yesterday.
This is because DeMbare failed to settle an overdue salaries debt to their former coach, Saul Chaminuka.
DeMbare owed Chaminuka US$13 000 in unpaid salaries from his spell in May — July 2025.
Ironically, Chaminuka won just one of 10 league games before being suspended and eventually booted out.
But as clubs went into the hat for the Confederation Cup draw in Cairo, DeMbare were conspicuous by their absence from the list of 56 teams that were involved.
ZIFA, who reportedly had tried to assist the Harare giants, confirmed yesterday that DeMbare’s omission from the draw was due to “overdue payables”, in line with the CAF club licencing.
This is the second year that they have failed to honour CAF commitments.
Last year, the Glamour Boys withdrew, citing financial incapacities and lack of preparedness to compete at that level.
They had hoped to return to the competition this year after investing in playing personnel, including foreign players and a new coach, Aristica Cioaba, but CAF shut the door on their face after they failed to meet the club licensing requirements.
CAF mandates that applicant clubs prove they have no final, binding financial obligations or unpaid salaries owed to employees (including players and head coaches) as verified by national associations, FIFA bodies, or the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The CAF Club Licencing Regulation Article 60 says: “The licence applicant must prove that it has no overdue payables towards current and former employees as at 31 March of the year in which the CAF club competitions commence as per Article 63.
“If the licence applicant has overdue payables as at March 31 of the year in which the CAF club competitions commence, it shall have a grace period of two months to prove that by the following May 31, such overdue payables have been fully settled, deferred by mutual agreement with the creditor, are still pending before a competent authority and without a final and binding decision or are subject to a not obviously unfounded dispute submitted to a competent authority.”
According to the provisions (Article 63), Dynamos could still have been considered for the draw if they had engaged the aggrieved coach, agreed on terms of payment, and then communicated with CAF.
They also had an option if they felt the claims by the coach were unjust.
According to Article 63, DeMbare could have contested to a competent authority or arbitration tribunal . . . and show to the reasonable satisfaction of the relevant decision-making bodies that it has established reasons for contesting the claim or proceedings.”
However, it appears Dynamos took the matter lightly despite authorities warning them of the implications of not addressing the Chaminuka issue.
Even after missing the May 31 CAF deadline to have settled the overdue payables, DeMbare only made last gasp efforts when the deadline for registration was approaching, settling part of the sum owed.
“As far as I am concerned, we were supposed to play in the CAF Confederation Cup, only to work up to these developments.
“Obviously, there was an issue with the coach, and it was being handled,” said club secretary-general Divine Sena, who directed all questions to the DeMbare executive chairman, Vincent Chawonza.
Dynamos’ failure to secure their place in the CAF Confederation Cup draw will go down as one of the most costly administrative blunders in the club’s recent history.
While players and coaches earned qualification on sporting merit, shortcomings in the boardroom ultimately proved decisive.
DeMbare won the Chibuku Super Cup for a record third straight season last year, to earn the ticket to represent Zimbabwe in CAF’s second-tier competition.
But the ambitions were extinguished in a painful case of a club defeating itself, with an avoidable administrative lapse denying them an opportunity to fly the Zimbabwean flag on the continental stage.
Chaminuka’s handlers yesterday distanced themselves from the CAF decision to kick DeMbare out of the tournament.
“The Dynamos issues are a bit complicated because there are many people who are owed by Dynamos and now they want to use Chaminuka as a scapegoat,” said one of his representatives.
“To be honest, Chaminuka is not responsible for Dynamos’ failure to play CAF football because he is not the one running Dynamos.
“They had a contract which ran until the end of the year. He rendered his services at the time, and when the club chose to suspend him, they did not honour their side of the contract.
“So, Chaminuka was owed money by the club, and he took his case to the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe to seek redress. What happened afterwards was beyond him, as the matter was now out of his hands.
“Dynamos have been engaged several times, and they were not responsive, only to turn up at the last minute, towards the deadline for the CAF draw.
“They should have just done the right thing and avoided all this confusion.”
He said DeMbare’s omission should serve as a lesson to the Glamour Boys.
“Who doesn’t want Dynamos, or any other Zimbabwean club for that matter, to play in the CAF competitions?
“Instead of blaming other people, Dynamos should just introspect and see if they are doing things in a professional manner, they are expected to.
“Right now they have an expat coach and a number of foreign players; this should serve as a lesson to them so that they avoid more problems in the future,” said the handler.
