Online Reporter
Blessing Malinganiza
Zimpapers Sports Hub
FOR generations, Dynamos drew their strength and identity from Harare’s high-density suburbs, but the sight of seven foreign players taking the field for the Glamour Boys in one Premier Soccer League match has stirred debate.
Are Dynamos moving away from the communities that built them?
Executive chairperson Vincent Chawonza says the club’s do ors remain open to local talent and neither nationality nor social background should determine who wears the famous blue shirt.
“We do not care where you come from. We do not care what language you speak. We just look at the talent,” he said.
Dynamos fielded seven foreign players in their 1-0 defeat to Chicken Inn last weekend.
Goalkeeper Idrissou Nfor, defenders Christopher Nettey and Isaac Landu, midfielders Godknows Dzakpasu and Ben Sidibe and forward Frank Agyemang started, while Ramela Hariremana was introduced in the second half.
Chawonza believes their presence has raised competition within the squad rather than closed the door on Zimbabwean players.
“I don’t understand why people think that bringing in eight foreigners out of a squad of 30 means we have closed the game for local players,” he said.
“What we have increased is competition. Everyone has to fight for their jersey.
“If you are performing well in training, you are disciplined and you listen to your coaches, you will play.
“The regulations give us eight slots for foreign players and 22 for locals. How can we say foreign players are disadvantaging local players?”
Dynamos have made significant progress from last season, when they survived relegation on the final day.
They are now fourth on 46 points, 11 behind leaders Scottland, with seven matches remaining.
Their title prospects were dented by the defeat to Chicken Inn, but Chawonza believes their improvement vindicates the club’s recruitment policy.
“We have been very careful in recruiting our foreign players,” he said.
“We take our time, look at the statistics and even send people to watch the players before we recruit them.
“A club like Dynamos should not really be doing trials. We should be signing players who are already known, with proven records and statistics.
“The foreign players we recruited this time have given us a lot of
value.
“Let’s not forget that we were fighting relegation last season and survived on the last day. Now we are competing near the top and playing with greater respect.”
Chawonza singled out several of the foreign recruits for their contribution this season.
“If you look at our goalkeeper, he has played very well. Nettey has also played very well,” he said.
“Landu is one of our best foreign signings, while Agyemang is among the top goalscorers in the league.
“That is not to say our local players are not giving us value. It is the whole team, but the foreign players have certainly added something.”
He believes local players can also benefit from training and competing with footballers from different backgrounds.
“Our local players must learn from these foreign players,” said Chawonza.
“We want to groom players who can eventually play for the national team, so this is also about skills transfer and learning.”
Dynamos have applied the same thinking to their technical department, where Romanian coach Aristica Cioabă is working alongside local coaches.
“You can see the dimension he has brought and how he has changed the way we play,” Chawonza said.
“It is good to open the doors to foreign coaches so they can bring new training methods and ideas while our local coaches work with them.”
But the debate over Dynamos’ identity goes beyond the number of foreign players in their squad.
The Glamour Boys have long been associated with Mbare, Highfield and other high-density suburbs that produced some of the finest players in the club’s history.
Chawonza acknowledges those roots but argues that Zimbabwe’s social and football landscape has changed.
“Historically, Dynamos recruited heavily from high-density suburbs because, during the colonial era and shortly after independence, those were the places where most talented black players could be found,” he said.
“The low-density suburbs were largely a preserve of white and privileged communities.
“But now things have changed. We recruit from everywhere and we do not segregate anyone because of where they come from. We just look at the talent.”
For Chawonza, protecting the club’s traditional identity does not mean rejecting talent from outside the high-density suburbs.
“It should never be about suburbs. It should be about talent,” he said.
“We cannot overlook someone from a low-density suburb simply because of where they come from.
“If a boy from Borrowdale, St George’s or Peterhouse is talented, he should be given an opportunity to play for Dynamos.
“Whether someone comes from Gokwe, Mbare, Highfield or a privileged background, we will take them if they have talent.”
Chawonza also insists Dynamos have not abandoned the development structures that have traditionally connected the club to Harare’s working-class communities.
The club has Under-15 and Under-18 teams, as well as a Division Two side, with its junior programme based in Glen Norah.
“Our scouting structure is very clear,” he said.
“Most importantly, our juniors are based in Glen Norah, which is a high-density setup. That is where they train and where we identify players.
“Anyone who thinks they have talent, or anyone we identify as talented, has to come into the structures at the right age. From there, we can promote them into the senior team.”
He pointed to Vusa Ngwenya and Elton Chikona as players who rose through the club’s junior ranks, while Junior Makunike and Bill Antonio joined the Dynamos system after emerging from Prince Edward School.
“Look at Ngwenya, who came through our structures and went on to play for the Under-17 and Under-20 national teams,” Chawonza said.
“Chikona also came through the Dynamos junior structures.
“We have groomed many players who came from the high-density suburbs and went on to become big players for Dynamos.”
For Chawonza, widening the search for players does not erase the club’s history. It simply gives more footballers the chance to become part of it.
“We cannot grow the sport if we only look at high-density suburbs,” he said.
“We don’t care where you come from. As long as you have the talent, you have an opportunity.”
