Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
Under-pressure Dynamos board chairman Benard Marriot-Lusengo has elected to tread on the diplomatic route in the face of growing calls by a section of the club’s supporters to boycott all the team’s home games starting with the Harare Derby against CAPS United at Rufaro on Sunday.
The Harare giants have been underwhelming in the opening 11 games of the season after winning just once and dangling with relegation as they sit third from bottom with a paltry eight points.
Dynamos’ executive committee responded to the incredibly poor form by axing the entire technical team led by Lloyd “Ma Blanyo” Chigowe, with journeyman Saul Chaminuka now in charge of the ship.
But rather than giving Chaminuka a chance to show what he can do to bring back life into their campaign, some of the fans have threatened to turn their backs whenever Dynamos are playing at home, demanding that both the board and the executive committee step down.
A section of the Dynamos Supporters Association issued a statement yesterday calling for a peaceful boycott of all the team’s remaining home games this season.
“As the Dynamos Football Club Supporters Association Harare Chapter, The Mother of All Chapters, the first and last line of defence, having noted for years end, the manner in which our club has been on a downward spiral has forced us to come to the unbearable conclusion (sic) to call on all our members and the blue and white faithful to peacefully boycott all Dynamos home matches until further notice,” read part of the statement.
“We have been monitoring the goings-on of the club, to give reference to the not-so-recent past of 11 years since our last league championship victory, and feel hard done by the manner and conduct in which our once beloved Glamour Boys have turned out to be a team that has carelessly lost its pride and glitz.
“One is tempted to make reference to recent glories of the back-to-back Chibuku Super Cup knock-out tournament victories, but Dynamos can only be measured by their success in the prized asset, that is, the Premier Soccer League title.”
The supporters said they are also not happy with the manner in which the Dynamos bosses have been chopping and changing coaches willy-nilly.
Many coaches, qualified and capable in their own calibre have been chopped and changed year-in, year-out, but the script has embarrassingly remained the same.
It is at this unpleasant juncture that we, as supporters, need to be heard in a different tune, far away from our cherished Vietnam Stand.
“We have sacrificed so much for so long; we have lost brothers and sisters for this blue and white religion and feel a change in tone is needed.
“We harbour no ambitions of taking over control of the club but feel those at the helm of the club have also contributed to the muddy state we find ourselves in.
“Our problems stem beyond the technical set-up, and they too ought to make sound and well-informed decisions,” the supporters said.
But Marriot, who is also the majority shareholder of the club, has sought to engage the fans through their various chapter leadership as they seek to find a lasting solution to the problems bedevilling the giants.
The meeting to iron out the bottling tension between club leadership and fans is scheduled for tomorrow.
“First and foremost, let me say the fans have every right to complain because it hurts to see their team punching below weight.
“It’s their right to complain because they know Dynamos is not an ordinary team,” said Marriot.
“But these are still early days in the season. There are still 23 games to play this term and we can even end up winning the title if we pull in one direction.
“As the board, we will be calling all the chapters through their national leadership to engage and map a way forward. This is a dry spell we are having, and if we remain united, we will obviously conquer,” he said.
Charles Duri