Online Reporter
Langton Nyakwenda-Zimpapers Sports Hub
DYNAMOS were this week making frantic efforts to unleash three of their foreign legion when the Harare giants face TelOne in their season opener at Ascot tomorrow.
The DeMbare club executives, whose team are still smarting from the 5-0 drubbing by Scottland at Rufaro last Sunday are eager to have their player base bolstered.
They have since been shuttling around the relevant offices, including the Department of Immigration to ensure all the paperwork which the Premier Soccer League need for registration is put in place.
Former Nyasa Big Bullets forward Stanley Billiat, DR Congo defender Isaac Landu and highly-rated Cameroonian keeper Idrissou Nfor Finia are some of the expatriate players DeMbare might field on their Gweru trip.
According to sources, the club’s administration was by yesterday afternoon, almost done with the work permit issue.
The foreign trio missed the Castle Challenge Cup clash against Scottland along with talented winger Callum English-Brown, who was also conspicuous by his absence at Rufaro last Sunday.
Resultantly, DeMbare were thrashed 5-0.
However, Dynamos coach Genesis Mangombe remains confident his charges will rise from the canvas and throw some hard punches against TelOne.
TelOne are coached by Herbert “Jompano” Maruwa, who was Mangombe’s boss at DeMbare three years ago.
“So I’m happy now we have a wider selection and we have a very stiff competition in terms of selecting the team which is going to represent us (against TelOne),” Mangombe told the media after their training yesterday.
“Stanley Billiat has been doing well in the attack force.
“Landu will also give us cover at the back. If you saw that game against Scottland, we were porous.
“Those are some of the things we have been addressing and I think they (foreign players) are going to give us value in this game.”
Mangombe is hoping for a bright start but could also be content with a point away.
He is also relishing a clash against Maruwa a coach he regards as a brother.
“We have been psyching up the boys after that loss against Scottland.
“But the boys were not bad, it’s not like they couldn’t play, it was just a bad day in office.
“I am with the response from the boys,” said Mangombe.
The ex-Triangle United gaffer added: “I know on a good day we can get maximum points.
“Facing Herbert (Maruwa) is quite interesting.
“We share a lot of things.
“But now it’s a different story altogether, we are playing for maximum points.
“We have a very good team, we just try to make sure that the philosophy is coming up, and they understand what is ahead of them.”
Mangombe feels some of the players are yet to understand what it means to play for Dynamos.
After losing a couple of players in the off-season, including skipper Emmanuel Jalai and goalkeeper Prince Tafiremutsa, DeMbare signed a number of players with no history of playing for the Glamour Boys.
The former Triangle United duo of Witness Shave and Elton Njini now lead the Dynamos attack.
Yet their opponents TelOne maintained the bulk of their squad.
“Because they didn’t lose much of their guys, it means they have been consistent.
“But for us, it’s like we are starting again.
“Also remember that TelOne finished in the top five, they are not a bad side, so if we get a point we will accept it.”
The youthful gaffer is pleading for patience from DeMbare fans.
“We know our fans believe Dynamos have to win all the games, but we have new recruits here.
“Most of the players don’t understand the value of the Dynamos badge.
“So, we are trying to take them in bit by bit, so that they understand playing for Dynamos is not a joke.
“As for our fans, we need them in their numbers, and we want to thank them for their good support when we played against Scottland, it was massive.”
