Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze-Zimpapers Sports Hub
AS they look to make an impactful return to the continental stage, Dynamos will use the occasion of the Simba SC 90th anniversary match to fine-tune their CAF Confederation Cup football assignments.
DeMbare were invited to face the Tanzanian giants Simba on August 8 at Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium.
The invitation gives DeMbare their first international exhibition in years and could just be what the doctor ordered for the storied Harare giants’ new coach, Aristica Cioaba.
Cioaba has been hired to guide Dynamos on both the domestic and continental fronts.
After missing out on last year’s Confederation Cup tourney due to financial problems and a poor season in which they tottered on the brink of relegation, Dynamos have been undergoing some re-invigoration this term.
That resurgence has seen them rise to what their legion of fans believe should be familiar territory — among the title chasers.
Dynamos currently lie in third place behind leaders Scottland and newboys Hardrock.
Apart from hiring Cioaba, DeMbare have also refreshed their squad with some talented players drawn from within and outside the country. Club chairman Vincent Chawonza believes the invitation to play Simba provides “perfect timing’’ for Cioaba’s men, as it comes at a time when Dynamos will be up-scaling their preparations for the Confederation Cup.
“We are keen to participate in the exhibition match, it amplifies our image as a club and also gives us a platform to weigh our side ahead of the Confederation Cup,” Chawonza said.
“After bringing in new signings, we need to ensure that our team is in the best shape for the African Safari, so this type of competition is key in our preparations.”
Romanian tactician Cioaba took over last month after Dynamos had endured a nasty fallout with then-coach Genesis Mangombe, although both parties moved to mend relations via an eventual mutual separation.
Dynamos this week boosted their arsenal with the signing of Burkina Faso winger Ben Daouda Sidibe, who arrives from a stint in the Ghana top-flight league.
Four other internationals are set to join before the mid-season transfer window closes, while talented former Zimbabwe youth international Callum English-Brown has finally been registered, along with winger Nathan Mutasa.
“For the coach to gauge his team and be able to know where we stand as we head into the Confederations Cup, we need such matches.
“Locally, the team has been impressive, and it will be important to see if they can do the same on a bigger stage, and SC Simba would be good competition,’’ added Chawonza.
Simba, whose rivalry with Young Africans has brought international attention to the Tanzania game, will mark 90 years since the club was founded in 1936 as “The Queens”.
They became Sunderland before they switched to being called SC Simba in 1971.
Dynamos were chosen “in full recognition of the club’s exceptional standing in Zimbabwean football.”
DeMbare are Zimbabwe’s most decorated club with 17 appearances in the African Cup of Champions Clubs/CAF Champions League.
The Harare giants’ best moments in continental football came in 1998 when legendary coach Sunday “Mhofu’’ Chidzambwa guided them to a runners-up spot following a 4-2 aggregate defeat by Cote d’Ivoire outfit ASEC Mimosas in the Champions League final.
A decade later, the late David Mandigora led them to a semi-final finish in the same competition when falling to Coton Sport Garoua of Cameroon.
Since then, Dynamos’ appearances on the continental stage have been as poor as they have been sporadic.
While dominance in the Chibuku Super Cup, which they have won on three successive occasions, has regularly guaranteed a Confederation Cup ticket, Dynamos came terribly short two years ago when they could not go beyond the second preliminary round under Lloyd “Ma Blanyo’’ Chigowe.
Chawonza is however, upbeat that the new era unfolding at Dynamos, spiced by the arrival of a new sponsor — AfricaBet — will bring back the continental glory the storied club had become accustomed to.
“The reinforcements that we did are also part of our efforts to make sure that we have the best possible squad for both the league’s final stretch and the Confederation Cup.
“African Safari is a different level of competition, and we want the coach and his team to have the best preparations, so the executive is supportive in every way,’’ he said.
