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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
DYNAMOS coach Genesis “Kaka” Mangombe and his technical team have started combing around to get a replacement for highly rated midfielder Junior Makunike, who has snubbed them despite the perceived power of continental inter-club football.
The 19-year-old has left the Glamour Boys to join ambitious Simba Bhora, who have dominated the transfer market so far after capturing one of the league’s top players in Walter Musona and Billy Veremu.
Makunike was taken to Dynamos by then coach Tonderai Ndiraya, who is now in charge at Simba Bhora.
This week Makunike caught Dynamos off guard and absconded from a scheduled meeting with coach Genesis Mangombe at his Bulawayo home where it emerged that his future has already been decided.
Buoyed by their return to the African safari, Dynamos intended to renew Makunike’s contract on the assumption that he would prefer CAF Confederation Cup football ahead of other local offers outside of league champions Ngezi Platinum, who will be in the CAF Champions League.
With social media abuzz with news that Makunike had joined the bandwagon to Shamva, Mangombe travelled all the way to Bulawayo to find out from the midfielder on Tuesday. Mangombe got the shock of his life upon learning from Makunike’s handlers that the upcoming star has already penned a deal with Simba Bhora.
However, the Dynamos entourage used that visit to engage striker Obriel Chirinda who is set to join the Harare giants this January, if he is granted his wish to leave Bulawayo Chiefs as a free agent.
There is also an ambitious attempt to lure defender Peter Muduhwa from Highlanders.
“Yes, we now have to go hunting for a midfielder. Junior (Makunike) has left the team and we will have to go to the market again.
“The youngster played very well in midfield last season and we were hoping that he would perform even better next year and beyond,” said Mangombe. “But he has left the club and we should act swiftly to get the replacement.
“At the moment, our pre-occupation is on strengthening our team in every department.
“We have identified the possible replacements from Yadah and other teams but we are still breaking things down on each and every player we have seen as a possible replacement before we can open any negotiations.
“But we will try to be as fast as we can before we lose our targets to other teams”.
Makunike was one of the most consistent figures at Dynamos this past season, controlling the midfield ably supported by Soccer Star of the Year runner-up Donald “Kante” Mudadi and Tanaka Shandirwa who also made it to the Soccer Stars’ calendar.
So good was Makunike that he almost snatched the league’s Most Promising Player (Under-20) award but he was pipped by teammate Elton Chikona by just one vote.
It also turns out that it is not only Makunike that Dynamos will have to get a replacement for because winger Issa Sadiki is reported to have left for Manica Diamonds.
Sadiki, together with Shandirwa, was on a season-long loan to Dynamos from Yadah and he was supposed to revert to the Miracle Boys at the end of the term.
Zimpapers Sports understands that Sadiki was set to be loaned back to the Glamour Boys had he chosen to renew with Yadah but indications are that he will be playing for Manica Diamonds next season.
Online Reporter