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Tadious Manyepo–Sports Reporter
AMID calls by the Dynamos faithful for the team to consider investing in a foreign coach, given the club’s financial stability, the Glamour Boys management have thrown their weight behind current gaffer Tonderai Ndiraya’s project.
DeMbare are one of the most liquid teams in the league at the moment, having forged a three-year marriage with energy giants, Sakunda Holdings.
Besides the different packages on the contract, including salaries and transfer chest, Sakunda Holdings have also promised to reward the Glamour Boys with a cool US$150 000 should they book a ticket to participate in any of the African inter-club competitions.
And there have been calls for the club to take aboard a foreign coach or a foreign technical director, who will work with Ndiraya.
But the DeMbare executive have decided to stick with the former Ngezi Platinum Stars gaffer.
“(Reports that Dynamos are considering a foreign coach) are not true. Coach Ndiraya is the one in charge and as management, we are happy with the work he is doing,” said the Dynamos executive chairman, Isaiah Mupfurutsa.
“He has done very well in transforming the team and it will be unfair to him and his technical team if the club disrupts his project. After all, his results to date are very pleasing. He reached the semi-finals of the Chibuku Super Cup after he had performed very well in the group stages. Again the team has started well in the league. All this put together, I don’t see why we should lack faith in our coach. Anyway social media will always speculate but that is far from the truth.
“The other time it was rumoured that (former Dynamos coach) Kalisto Pasuwa was coming back. But that wasn’t true again. Such rumours are not good as they destabilise our coaches.”
Ndiraya has done so well in restoring dignity at the Harare giants.
He inherited a club that was crying out for stability in the field of play, having survived relegation by a whisker in 2018 under Lloyd “Mablanyo” Chigowe.
He took over from Chigowe in the early stages of 2019 after the renowned junior development coach struggled to pick positive results.
Despite lacking sound financial capacity early last year, Ndiraya managed to lure some of the best players around to Dynamos, including Juan Mutudza, Ali Maliselo, Tinashe Makanda, King Nadolo and Cameroonian Albert Eonde.
DeMbare did well in the Chibuku Super Cup where they were undefeated in 10 group games only to be eliminated in the semi-final stages by eventual winners, FC Platinum.
Still the Zvishavane side didn’t have it their own way after Dynamos stood their own before an extra-time free-kick by Innocent Mucheneka won it for FC Platinum.
Mupfurutsa said Dynamos have been buoyed by the coming in of Sakunda Holdings and with the sponsorship in place, he believes Ndiraya will do well.
“As you are aware, the coming in of Sakunda Holdings has brought two things, mainly stability and financial capabilities. This has enabled the club to pay salaries competitively and also attract quality talent. With that we strongly believe that we will do well this season and that is our wish as the whole DeMbare family.”
Dynamos are still pursuing a long-term lease for Rufaro Stadium with the Harare City Council and Mupfurutsa revealed they are still awaiting feedback from the municipality.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Geoffrey Chitsumba is back at the Glamour Boys.
For the past three weeks, Dynamos have been training with just one goalie – Taimon Mvula.
Feeling he wouldn’t be needed at the club, Chitsumba had not been reporting for training over the past weeks.
He is understood to have tried his luck with different clubs in the league and in the lower divisions.
Fringe keeper, Tanyaradzwa Jinja, has been released and that even forced the team to use goalkeepers’ coach, Gift “Umbro” Muzadzi, as one of the goalkeepers when the team played Yadah in a two-phased practice game on Saturday.
But Chitsumba is now back and he trained with the rest of the team yesterday.
That means DeMbare are now looking for just one more goalkeeper who Ndiraya said should be a high-profile one.
Dynamos have already made seven signings this window period taking on board Ralph Kawondera, Keith Murera, Brendon Mpofu, Evans Katema as well as three foreigners that include two Ghanaians Emmanuel Paga and Martin Ofori; and Nigerian Alex Orotomal.
Online Reporter