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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
DYNAMOS have always thrived on team tradition and identity.
But they have been devoid of this over the past couple of years.
And they have failed to do well in the field of play too.
The Glamour Boys are chasing for a first league title in nine years.
And the Moses Maunganidze-led executive has decided to go back to basics.
They are looking to seal a twinning deal with schools’ football powerhouse Churchill Boys High as they bid to identify, groom and nurture the next generation of Dynamos players.
The first batch of players who will be part of this process are already being identified with their enrollment into the system set to start soon. Already two players Visa Ngwenya and Elton Chikona who graduated from the Dynamos Juniors have been seconded into the first team.
DeMbare used to have their junior teams at the same school and that helped them a lot in terms of continuity and identity.
The famed Kidznet project under club legend Moses Chunga in the early 2000s which had such players as Norman Maroto, Richmond Mafuzha, Andrew Chifamba, Trymore Mtisi, Tapfumaneyi Gweshe, Eddie Mashiri, Samson Choruwa and Nyasha Chazika among others is a case in point.
Club vice chairman Vincent Chawonza told The Herald this week that talks to twin Churchill School and the Glamour Boys are at an advanced stage.
“We need to groom players who identify with our ethos and philosophy as Dynamos.
“As the executive, we sat down and identified that part of our failure to deliver in the field of play was to do with having players who do not identify with the club,” said Chawonza.
“So we have resolved to address those gaps.
“We have arranged to have our junior players at Churchill Boys High School just like what we used to do in the past.
“We will give those boys scholarships as we try to mould them both as footballers and academically.
“We need to hammer unto them the ethos and philosophy that we expect at Dynamos.
“We need players who identify as Dynamos wherever they are and who understand what it means to be a Dynamos player.
“There are times when Dynamos play well and there are times when they play badly. But if you are a Dynamos player to the marrow, you know for sure that you need the spirit to win a game even if the chips are down.
“Basically, that’s what we want to do. It’s part of our vision as the new executive steering Dynamos.
“If you look at it, Dynamos used to be a fiery outfit with players who had the team at heart. I am not saying we have players who do not have the team at heart, they are very good and actually we have already started having those ideology classes with them.
“That is part of the reason why we recruited young players this season. We want them to grow in the system, understand our ethos, practice our gospel and be the model Dynamos players we expect to have”.
The Glamour Boys spirit is gradually creeping back with fans especially leading from the front.
Midfielder Denver Mukamba did not grow in the Dynamos set-up but he joined the outfit early and he seems to be propelling the identity wheel at the moment.
Mukamba joined Dynamos in 2011 and helped the team win back to back titles in 2011 and 2012 before he left for South Africa.
Although the Glamour Boys would claim two more titles on the trot in 2013 and 2014 after Mukamba’s departure, the 30-year-old is widely seen as an example of what a Dynamos player should be like in his third spell with the Harare giants.
This has endeared him to the supporters, who have demanded to see him in every game, and showering him with cash, even when he has not played.
“Dynamos supporters believed in me. We all know that people will always have a player that they will like in the team.
“And I think they saw something good in me during my time when I joined the team as a young player in 2011 and also achieved a lot with the team during that time.
“I remember playing in the Champions League when I was still young and even became the Soccer Star of the Year.
“So, when I returned they embraced me and I’m happy with their love and support and I think as the club turn 60 years this year, we hope that we can win the league title as a way of celebrating the milestone.”
Mukamba also emphasized unity of purpose in the team. He revealed he was in the habit of sharing the money he gets from the supporters with his teammates.
“We talked with the technical team about the issue and we came to the decision that if the supporters want to give me money it’s fine. But I’m also open to share the money with my teammates because when we are playing, I will not be alone.
“We are 30 players in the team and for us to achieve anything it will be a collective effort. So, if they give me that money, I can share with my teammates. I have no problem with that,” he said.
The focus for today is on Herentals, who have troubled DeMbare ever since they broke onto the scene in 2028.
“The Herentals game is not going to be easy,” said Mukamba.
“Herentals are not a bad side, it’s a team that even went on to play in the Chibuku Cup final last season.
“So they will still have that boost and confidence because of that achievement. They also have experienced players in their team but at the end of the day our focus is for us to collect three points.”
Online Reporter