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Tadious Manyepo-Sports Reporter
FOR long he has been on the peripheries, but now interim Dynamos coach Lloyd “Mablanyo” Chigowe will finally be in charge of a CAF Confederation Cup match after his club yesterday revealed they have stopped their pursuit of an expatriate gaffer.
The Glamour Boys ended their romance with Genesis Mangombe, who has since downgraded to Northern Region Soccer League side Scottland.
The Dynamos management had on Tuesday hinted at securing a foreigner to replace Mangombe, with the expatriate being targeted to arrive in time to play some part in the side’s CAF Confederation Cup campaign should the Harare giants progress beyond the preliminary round.
Dynamos face Zambia’s ZESCO United at the National Stadium in Gaborone, Botswana next week.
But after some second thoughts, the DeMbare leadership have decided to give Chigowe the responsibility to guide the club on their return to the African Safari.
Club executive chairman Moses Maunganidze said Chigowe will be in charge of the Glamour Boys in the Confederation Cup.
“As a team, we have decided to give Chigowe (Lloyd) a chance to be in charge of the team in the CAF Confederation Cup against ZESCO,” said Maunganidze.
“We were weighing our options as a club and at one point even came to agree that we needed a foreign coach to take the post for the CAF Confederation preliminary stages.
“But we have put on the ground a lot of factors to consider. If we take a foreign coach right now, obviously he will not get the requisite papers to work in time for our Confederation Cup preliminary fixtures against ZESCO United and therefore we would have missed it.
“So we have just decided to leave a foreign coach out of the conversation for obvious reasons.”
Maunganidze added that Dynamos have also decided not to shake the ship as the team should stay intact “with the players working under a coach who they are used to.”
“Chigowe has been with the team for years and he knows the players like the back of his hand. “We think it is in the best interests of the club to give him a chance to lead the boys,” added Maunganidze.
“We will only look elsewhere if Chigowe fails to show up. For now, he remains in interim charge of the club and we are confident he will do well with the team.
“We will see what we can do if the need arises but obviously, we will be looking for someone local.”
Dynamos will be the home side first for the August 18 assignment against ZESCO before they travel to Ndola, Zambia for the return leg six days later.
But before Chigowe can think of the CAF Confederation Cup matches against ZESCO United, he will have to lead Dynamos to glory in the Premiership when they take on Simba Bhora at Barbourfields on Saturday.
His charges will quickly have to look for performance analysts as Clinton Matiza and Desmond Mhene have left to join Mangombe at Scottland.
They will also have to find a replacement for goalkeepers’ trainer Britto Gwere who is also on his way out with former Dynamos goalminder Munyaradzi Diya expected to return to the club and take up that post.
Diya has previously been the goalkeepers’ trainer at Northern Region Soccer League outfit Golden Eagles.
Online Reporter