GIVE NEW DEMBARE LEADERS A CHANCE

Robson Sharuko

Metros Editor

AFTER their five-goal thrashing in the Castle Challenge Cup, at the hands of a rampant Scottland, we all feared the worst for Dynamos this season.

They were simply HOPELESS, HELPLESS, CLUELESS, CARELESS, USELESS, SOULLESS, POWERLESS, LEADERLESS, SHAPELESS AND SHAMELESS.

On that day of infamy, they conspired to urinate on a brand, which has taken more than sixty years to build, for those who came before them.

It was a horror show and those who feared the worst, and were certain that this collection of Glamour Boys, were going to struggle worse than those who battled relegation last season, appeared to have a case.

But, the new leaders cautioned against such expectations, claiming that most of the new players they had acquired were not able to play in that game because of registration complications.

Eleven games into the championship race, it’s fair to say that the hapless DeMbare we watched being thrashed by Scottland that day is different from the one we have been watching in the marathon.

Of course, there is still a lot of work to be done and, compared to the talent and depth at CAPS United, they look lightweight.

But, at least, they are competitive.

They were outclassed in the Derby.

That they were still in the game, in the final minutes of the showdown, was largely due to CAPS United transforming themselves into a winter version of Father Christmas, with the way they were donating chances, and the excellent performance from goalkeeper Harmony Nare.

But, that also doesn’t mean that there has been no progress at DeMbare.

In football, it’s all about statistics and when one looks at them, it’s easy to see that there has been tremendous progress.

After 11 games last year, Dynamos had won just ONE league match, beating Simba Bhora 1-0 at Rufaro.

After the same number of games this season, Dynamos have won FOUR GAMES, which means they have won four times more games.

After 11 games last year, Dynamos were sitting on just SIX points from one win and five draws.

After the same number of games this season, Dynamos are sitting on 17 points, which represents an increase of 11 points.

After 11 games last year, Dynamos had scored just TWO goals and now they have scored TWELVE goals in the same number of games.

Last year, it took Dynamos until the 24th league game of the season to win their fourth league game.

This year, they took only SIX games for them to win their fourth league game of the season, with the other two being draws.

Last year, their games were being abandoned by even their fans and on Sunday we just saw the biggest contingent of Dynamos fans to come to Rufaro for a league match in years.

Against that background, it’s unfortunate that the work of the new leadership at Dynamos, led by chairman Vincent Chawonza, is once again being questioned.

Chawonza and his leadership deserve to be supported rather than attacked as they try to stablise their ship. Their crime, it appears, is that they decided to save their ship, which was penniless and hopeless in February, by going into a strategic partnership with AfricaBet.

We have seen this template before.

Every time there is a resemblance of normalcy at DeMbare, where damaging allegations are thrown around to soil images and drive out those who choose to partner the Glamour Boys.

What we are not being told is that without AfricaBet coming in at the last minute, not originally as a sponsor or partner but after being asked to bail the club out, Dynamos would not have fulfilled the Challenge Cup match, let alone the first few games of the season.

What we are not being told is that the Dynamos players’ salaries and winning bonuses are up to date, for the first time in an age, and that has all been made because of their partnership with AfricaBet.

What we are not being told is how these executive members used their own money to get basic things like tracksuits for the team to wear ahead of the Challenge Cup.

Isn’t it ironic that the AfricaBet partnership is being questioned at the same time when other similar companies, LuckyBets and Spin City Bets, have come on board to partner the PSL and Highlanders in the past few days?