Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi, Zimpapers Sports Hub
Dynamos 1-1 FC Hunters
(FC Hunters won 4-1 after penalty shootout)
DYNAMOS’ three-year dominance of the Chibuku Super Cup finally came to an end yesterday after the Harare giants lost a quarter-final penalty shootout against newboys FC Hunters at Rufaro yesterday.
\The Glamour Boys, who had won the previous three editions in 2023, 2024 and 2025, bowed out of this year’s competition in agonising fashion after second half substitute Ordain Sira forced the match into a tie-break with a brilliant equaliser in the 86th minute.
Sira’s goal turned the game on its head, after cancelling out Frank Agyemang’s 72nd minute lead from the penalty spot.
DeMbare survived nervous moments towards the end of the match and were relieved when referee Tichaona Mbire blew the final whistle.
But the worst was yet to come. The body language from the DeMbare supporters as they prepared for the shootout was telling and it was not surprising when they missed their first two kicks.
Moses Demera and Wisdom Mtasa put the Glamour Boys at a disadvantage after FC Hunters’ skipper Ronald Pfumbidzayi, Tamuka Chipango and Junior Meya were on target to get the visitors 3-1 up.
Agyemang kept Dynamos’ slim hopes alive but then FC Hunters had the game in the bag when Elder Chirima beat goalkeeper Tatenda Makoni to give the newboys an unassailable lead.
Dynamos technical director Arostica Cioaba was emotional after the defeat, and rightly so.
His team had not lost a Chibuku Super Cup game in the last 14 matches in the tournament.
Dynamos had last tasted defeat in the tournament on September 18, 2022, when they went down 2-4 on penalties to FC Platinum after a goalless draw.
Cioaba was blunt in his post-match interview, pointing to a myriad of off-field challenges and the general decline in player morale in the camp.
DeMbare headed into the quarterfinal of the tournament on the back of administrative turmoil which saw two executive members getting the boot last week.
“This is the situation from me, the coach. Also, let me personally apologise, to the supporters. This is a very bad situation for me, the coach because the last three years the club won the cup, and this put more pressure on us,” said Cioaba.
“Personally, I tried to maintain the history, to go into the semi-finals, but this is where we are at this moment; maybe this is the maximum level for our team.
“And let’s see the reality; let’s see the professional side. Maybe we need some improvements in the future. Also, I try to maintain the morale.”
He also said the players could also have been demoralised by the club’s recent exclusion from the CAF Confederation Cup following an administrative bungle.
Dynamos were supposed to represent Zimbabwe after winning this tournament but they were kicked out by CAF. They also forfeited the privilege two years ago because of a lack of funds and lack of preparedness for African football.
“You see, some players, the last three seasons, you win the cup, and you don’t have a chance to go and play in the Confederation Cup.
“And some players have a little morale to go down and play…. maybe sometimes also this presents mental problems for the players.
“You will go into the game and in the penalty shootout you then see the player who was very good, he misses the penalty, and we lose the game. We don’t have another opportunity; our team is out of the cup. We are now waiting for the last six games in the league,” said Cioaba.
The defeat yesterday confirmed Dynamos will endure a trophyless season after they suffered first-round elimination from the Munhumutapa Challenge Cup and surrendered the fight going into the last six games of the league marathon.
Dynamos were generally poor yesterday, with both teams lacking creativity and goal-scoring opportunities for most of the match.
But DeMbare got the breakthrough when referee Mbire blew for a handball by Gareth Madhake in a crowded box as Hunters defended in numbers from a corner kick situation.
The decision, however, sparked heated protests from the FC Hunters players. But the referee stood his ground and Agyemang stepped up and sent the goalkeeper Brendon Munkuli the wrong way in the 72nd minute.
But FC Hunters clawed back into the game with four minutes of regulation time remaining, courtesy of a brilliant finish by substitute Sira.
Sira, who had only been on the pitch for a few minutes after coming on as a late second-half substitute, blasted the ball into the bottom corner after Tadiwanashe Huni had threaded a neat pass that caught the Dynamos defenders unawares.
FC Hunters finished strongly, with Sira getting denied by the crossbar from a header while Elder Chirima forced a fingertip save from Makoni at the stroke of full time.
FC Hunters coach Nesbert Saruchera was impressed by his team’s progress in this tournament.
“I am happy. We managed to progress. But we should have wrapped it up in the second half. We bombarded them, but we couldn’t score. But I am happy with the result after all,” said Saruchera.
The veteran coach felt his second-half substitution made a big difference.
“ We had some few changes. We were a bit defensive in the first half. You know, Dynamos is a big team; we can’t maybe just open up the game at first. But we saw there was nothing coming on us.
So we tried to open it up.
“Am happy with the goal. It was a brilliant one from the young boy. But I was more impressed with the through pass from Tadiwa Huni, one of the youngsters in the team,” said Saruchera.
Teams
Dynamos: Tatenda Makoni, Abel Gwatidzo (Collins Mujuru, 83rd min), Christopher Nettey, Clive Mandivei, Isaac Landu, Shadreck Nyahwa, Godknows Dzakpasu, Tellmore Pio (Wisdom Mtasa, 54th min), Leeroy Mavunga, Ben Daouda Sidibe (Perfect Chikwende, 54th min, Moses Demera, 81st min), Frank Agyemang
FC Hunters: Brendon Munkuli, Junior Meya, Garreth Madhake (Ordain Sira, 78th min), Vusa Ngwenya (Ronald Pfumbidzayi, 46th min), Delight Gandari, Tadiwanashe Huni, Munyaradzi Mushanga, Tamuka Chipango, Godfrey Dabgwa (King Nadolo, 62nd min), Benjamin Goliath (Michael Tapera, 46th min), Elder Chirima.
