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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
AFTER weeks of speculation about Issa Sadiki’s future, it appears the diminutive winger is set to extend his stay at Dynamos who want to avoid extensive disruptions ahead of a key 2024 season in which they will look to return to the African safari after more than a decade. Sadiki, one of the vibrant players in the 2023 season when they won the Chibuku Super Cup and came close in the title race, had been heavily linked to ambitious Mutare side Manica Diamonds.
The 26-year-old was on a two-year loan from Yadah. He has recently been toying around with the idea of changing clubs and joining the Gem Boys at the end of his deal with the Glamour Boys.
Apparently he had signed a pre-contract with the Eastern Highlands club after the Gem Boys had tabled a lucrative salary.
However, it has since emerged that after persuasion with head coach Genesis Mangombe, the player has decided to return to the Harare giants for yet another dance after getting contract adjustments.
This was achieved with consultation with his parent club Yadah, with whom he has six months left on his contract. Curiously, Sadiki had never commented about his intended move to Manica Diamonds.
The Glamour Boys were not willing to discuss finer details of Sadiki’s new contract, referring questions to Yadah. DeMbare secretary-general Webster Marechera yesterday said, as far as they were concerned, Sadiki was still a DeMbare player on loan from Yadah. “We have also heard a lot being said about him. But as far as we know, he is our player on loan from Yadah and nothing has changed. I think the people at Yadah are the best to comment on that. If he is to move, they are also the ones to talk about it because he is their player,” said Marechera.
Sadiki was on the brink of finalising a move to Manica Diamonds but, according to sources, head coach Mangombe intervened and convinced him to stay.
“Issa had signed a pre-contract with Manica Diamonds. He was promised a salary that is higher than what he is getting at the moment. But nothing had been finalised.
“So the coach (Mangombe) used his relationship with parent club Yadah and the trust he had built with Sadiki from their previous working relationship at Yadah and managed to convince him and he agreed to come back to DeMbare.
“Yadah also have good relations with Dynamos and they also want him to play Africa’s inter-club football next year. So, he has been given two more years at Dynamos,” said the source.
Mangombe was not available for comment yesterday. But the source added that the DeMbare coach was not prepared to lose Sadiki just days after one of his key midfielders Junior Makunike had left to join Simba Bhora. In their bid to keep Sadiki, Dynamos were also reportedly mulling a swap deal with Yadah, who had developed interests in youthful forwards Jayden Bakari and Tendai Matindife.
Mangombe is averse to the idea of having to build again for next season. But changes will be inevitable as about five players that played marginal roles in the last campaign are set to be put up for loan. These include Tinashe Makanda, Brendon Mpofu, Taimon Mvula, Matindife and Bakari.
Wilmore Chimbetu is set to revert to Herentals after just one season while Denver Mukamba is on his way out, and could be reuniting with his former coach Rodwell Dhlakama at GreenFuel.
Dynamos are still waiting to hear from Ghanaian forward Emmanuel Paga, who recently had trials in South Africa and had been asked to return for further assessment on January 10.
Online Reporter