Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE ball dropped out of the Harare sky at Rufaro Stadium last Saturday, and Denver Mukamba met it with the kind of strike that belongs to folklore.
A volley, crisp and ruthless, against the very club that had cast him aside only months earlier.
The stadium froze, then it erupted.
That goal was more than three points in a tense 3-2 win over Scottland.
It was redemption, a reminder of why Mukamba remains the heartbeat of Dynamos.
And his celebration told the story better than words ever could.
At first, he sprinted towards the western corner flag, then changed direction and bolted to the Vietnam Stand, home of the loyal Dynamos faithful.
Arms stretched, he brought back the “Zora Butter” memories of the Kalisto Pasuwa years, when Dynamos dominated the league from 2011 to 2014.
But he was not finished.
Mukamba charged towards the Western Grandstand, where Dynamos officials sat alongside Scottland owner Pedzai “Scott” Sakupwanya.
Facing the VIPs, he gestured for silence, saluted and stood tall, as if to say: This is what you let go.
The celebration became the incident of the match.
Only a day earlier, Mukamba had openly wondered why Scottland had discarded him after he helped them secure Premiership promotion.
“I really don’t know why they let me go but they remain my bosses. I would have loved to play for them in the league but at times football is like that,” he said.
On the pitch, his volley was the perfect reply.
When the final whistle went, fans called him over and showered him with money and praise. Then Sakupwanya himself sent an aide to bring Mukamba to the VVIP box.
There, the businessman handed him US$1 000 in appreciation, even as his own team had just been beaten.
That is the Denver effect.
He bends loyalty, even of rivals. Since his return for a third spell with the Glamour Boys, Dynamos have not lost.
They still sit precariously in 17th place with 28 points, but Mukamba has given them hope.
Ironically, Saul Chaminuka, the coach replaced by Kelvin Kaindu five weeks ago, had been against signing him.
“Chaminuka didn’t want to sign Denver Mukamba and other players during the mid-season window,” said one Dynamos executive committee member.
“We couldn’t allow that. But he insisted and we let him go.”
That is how much weight Mukamba carries in the club corridors.
Loved by fans. Backed by executives. Feared by opponents.
And he is delivering.
“I came to Dynamos to rescue them,” Mukamba said.
“I am always working hard at training through the help of my coach Kelvin Kaindu. He allows me to play the way I enjoy most.
“He told me that I should lead the youngsters in an exemplary manner. I am trying to show them the way, and I should thank them for allowing me to lead them.”
Kaindu knows his value.
He saw Mukamba at his peak in 2012, when the midfielder was crowned Soccer Star of the Year while Kaindu coached Highlanders.
“Denver is the X Factor in this fight,” Kaindu said.
“He is an inspiration, whether he is on the field or outside it, whether he is on the bench or on the pitch. We are working to condition him more and more so that he gets more playing time and gets to help the team.”
Mukamba has always walked a thin line between brilliance and chaos.
His off-field troubles are no secret, but time and again he has found a way to light up games when his teams need it most.
He once captained the Warriors in 2012.
Now, at 31, he still talks of forcing his way back into the national team.
GreenFuel coach Rodwell Dhlakama, who worked with him at Chapungu and Ngezi Platinum Stars, believes there is still untapped potential.
“If he focuses, he still has a lot in his bag,” Dhlakama said.
For Dynamos, fighting for survival, focus is exactly what they need from him.
Mukamba’s strike against Scottland was not just a goal. It was a declaration that he is still here, still capable, still the player who makes the impossible look easy.
The man is difficult to hate.
Tinaye Agere