Jalai is Dynamos’ dynamite

Bruce Chikuni

THERE has not hardly been any good thing to say about Dynamos’ head of recruitment, Lloyd “Mablanyo” Chigowe, but he must be commended for bringing in wingback, Emmanuel Jalai.

All players signed by Chigowe when he was in charge of the club in 2019, have all cut ties with DeMbare.

The bulk was offloaded by Tonderai Ndiraya, last season saying they were not Dynamos material.

But, somehow, Jalai survived the chop and became the mainstay of Dynamos’ defence.

And, once again, the introduction of coach, Herbert Maruwa saw almost 75 percent of players roped in by Ndiraya packing their bags.

But Jalai has remained firmly rooted.

He has not only become untouchable, but he has also demystified the modern narrative that a defender should possess huge stamina.

He is one of the shortest players in the league, but his brilliance overshadows his height.

Jalai conceded that it has not been an easy road for him

“It hasn’t been an easy ride for me. The environment might be the same, but the coaches have different tactics.

“And playing for a club like Dynamos, you have to be consistent if you dream of a long stay and I would like to thank the fans who have been patient with my progress.

“We have gone through a lot, but their continued support has helped me become a better player and it challenges me to push myself to the limits,” said Jalai.

Jalai said he is not going to be fooled by his longevity at Dynamos to abandon his dream of playing in Europe.

“I think being at this club for a long time should actually inspire me to realise that I have the capacity to play for bigger foreign teams.

“In football, you learn everyday and I believe I’m still young to give up on my dream of playing in Europe, but what is important is to help the club achieve its intended targets. And in doing so, maybe something great will come to the table.

“We have a good squad and it’s up to us as players to fight for each to achieve what our fans are hoping for,” he said.

It appears Maruwa has retained last season’s flop, Evans Katema.

Katema scored only once last season and he is training with the squad.