Ma Blanyo backs Mangombe to succeed

Tadious Manyepo-Zimpapers Sports Hub

FORMER Dynamos coach Lloyd “Ma Blanyo” Chigowe has tipped Genesis Mangombe to succeed where he faltered.

Chigowe endured a nightmarish start to the 2025 Premier Soccer League campaign, thanks to Dynamos’ poor buying power in the preceding transfer period and a lack of concrete pre-season preparations.

The famed junior development coach was eventually replaced by Saul Chaminuka who didn’t last the distance either as the Glamour Boys slid further down the valley before Zambian gaffer Kelvin Kaindu saved the ship from the precipice.

After setting himself apart with an unbeaten record at DeMbare, Kaindu has since been lured by flamboyant new-comers Hardrock.

Dynamos tried to bait back Kalisto Pasuwa from his job with the Malawi national senior team, the Flames, but the deal fell through after the parties failed to reach common ground.

DeMbare then turned to Mangombe, whom they managed to lure from Triangle, whom he had guided to safety after joining the Lowveld side in midstream last season.

Mangombe is familiar with Dynamos having served the club first as an assistant to Herbert Maruwa and then as the head coach following Maruwa’s sacking in 2023.

He was in charge when Dynamos won their first Chibuku Super Cup title following victory over Ngezi at Baobab.

Interestingly, Chigowe was his second-in-command, and the two continued together into the 2024 season before Mangombe was then chucked out for poor results for the former to inherit full charge.

Chigowe knows Mangombe’s potential well and has suggested the former Yadah coach will post remarkable success at Dynamos this time around.

“I would want to think that Genesis is an experienced young coach with a great future.

“He did a great job at Triangle and I trust he will bring quality to Dynamos that will see Dynamos compete,” said Chigowe.

“I have no doubt that, with enough support, he has the potential to do wonders at Dynamos. I worked with him and I know how passionate he is when it comes to the job.

“His second coming can certainly help the team, especially given that he now knows the environment, unlike the first time he was there.”

Chigowe’s heart is always with Dynamos and junior development is his mother tongue with the lanky gaffer now back in the grassroots trenches as the technical director of Division Two side City Academy.

He is currently conducting trials for the Agrippa Guti-owned club where his eye for talent never misses potential.

“I have been appointed as the technical director for this project to assemble talent because this team is going to compete in Eastern Region Division Two with an objective of gaining promotion to Division One. “We’ve called the youngsters from different academies and junior teams in Harare to find the best suitable talent to work with in this project.”

An accomplished junior development guru, who has nurtured top talent that includes Evans Gwekwerere, Hope Chihota and Chamu Musanhu, Chigowe expressed concerns over a general lack of training for junior groomers.

“You see the youngsters are determined. But what I’m mainly worried about at this moment in the history of our country is the lack of youth coach training.

“It’s been a long time since we have had grassroots coaching courses, which means some of the coaches that are handling these youngsters at their respective academies are not well-equipped to produce a quality product,” added Chigowe.

“The youngsters are enthusiastic, and some of the coaches are also enthusiastic. There is talent on display which can be developed further.

“But most certainly we need to see these coaches, at academies and at elementary segments, being equipped with the requisite skills for them to be able to fully develop the youngsters.”

With Chigowe overseeing proceedings, City Academy will be looking to do well in Division Two as they aim for a place up the league system’s ladder.