admin
Danai Chitakasha Special Correspondent
“WE now have better attendances at our home games in Harare than Dynamos . . .!” declared Herentals coach Kumbirai Mutiwekuziwa while speaking to The Herald.
I never envisaged a day when Dynamos, DeMbare, The Glamour Boys (as the late Mukoma Choga Tichatonga Gavhure preferred to call them), Chazunguza would play in an almost empty stadium. But it is happening, it seems the club now has more nicknames than supporters.
The Battle of Zimbabwe between Dynamos and Highlanders, which used to be the benchmark in terms of attendance, recently failed to attract 3 000-plus paying fans, which is just a small fraction of the capacity crowds that used to throng the match between the country’s two biggest clubs during the hey days.
And on Sunday at the National Sports Stadium, Herentals — one of the Premiership minnows with no sound fan base — matched or almost outnumbered the handful of Dynamos spectators in a league match that was watched by less than 1 500 paying fans.
Gone are the days when clubs would smile all the way to the bank after playing the giants in Harare.
This is a wake up call for the once proud club. Are we seeing the demise of the club as a “brand”? The club might continue to exist but does it still inspire the passion and loyalty in its fans as it used to do. Vakuru vakati “Chine manenji hachifambisi, chinomirira kuti mavara acho aonekwe..!”.
Indeed the demise of the brand has been moving at its own pace, it has given everyone a chance to observe.
When did the rain begin to beat the once great club?
It has been on the way for a long time to be honest. Leadership squabbles, uninspiring football and easily disgruntled supporters have all contributed to the demise.
For ages the club has taken its status as the dominant force in Zimbabwean football for granted. In the past every young player wanted to play for Dynamos. Even senior players craved to play for the team. When Makwinji Soma-Phiri was firing in the goals at Highlanders he was asked about his ambitions.
“Team inonzi Dynamos iyo, ndirikuda kumboitambira wo..!” he is reported to have said.
Dynamos has to reclaim its relevance to the Zimbabwean football story. It has to work hard to bring back the supporters. There is a lot which can be done to re-establish that connection with the fans.
Good leadership is one, playing good football is another but above all working in communities like Mbare to capture young fans who have deserted football en-masse for Zimdancehall. All these will bring back the club to the pedestal of Zimbabwean football.
The club’s history deserves this, but history alone is not enough. The club must work on the present and its future!
Sisonke!!
Reactions from Dynamos fans . . .
Zivengwa Dondo: The team is in terminal decline. The players huff and puff with no meaningful end product. Tonde (Dynamos coach Tonderai Ndiraya) plays an insipid type of football. (Dynamos board chairman) Bernard Marriot doesn’t seem to have a vision at all.
Fireball Michael K Whizzkid: Bad administration, poor planning, management and self-centred egos have combined to kill Dynamos. I’m not saying the current economic situation is good, but remember the darkest days of 2006-2008? The economy was bad but fans would throng to the stadium to watch Dynamos play.
I also think the refocus should be on their home venue as well. They have the funds and backing from Kuda Tagwirei (of Sakunda Holdings), so why not negotiate a lease of Rufaro Stadium? Fix it, make it playable and it will be payable!!!
If they are not careful they will end up in the doldrums like (former South African football giants) Moroka Swallows.
Surely something can be done.
Problem is blind leadership. Take the team to its roots in Mbare and the zeal and oomph will come back.
My heart bleeds for my beloved Dynamos FC.
Brito Khathazile Moyo: Dynamos is finished and if Highlanders are not careful they’ll face the same predicament. The executives of these two clubs undermine football big time . . .
There are players from both clubs that lack quality to play for both teams. Both clubs of late are struggling when it comes to quality player retention. People do not want to go the stadiums and watch rubbish football.
We see these things and decide to close our mouths because of fear of having our doors knocked violently in the middle of the night by thugs sent by these counterfeit executives.
Online Reporter