adminEddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
IF people had the power to rewrite the past, then former Dynamos and CAPS United forward Clive Mwale would love to wipe out the 2005 and 2006 seasons from his career records.
Mwale, who is now coaching in his home country Zambia, was there when DeMbare were caught up in the ugly battle for Premiership survival in 2005.
He was also in the mix when a group of players ditched the Glamour Boys for newcomers Shooting Stars at the start of the 2006 campaign.
The players were unhappy that their welfare had been compromised and were wooed by the promises of better working conditions offered by Wild Boys owner Joel Sengeredo.
The Harare giants lost captain Leo Kurauzvione, midfielders Mtshumayeli Moyo and Munyaradzi Mashiri, Prince Mbara, Esau Amisi, Fidelis Mangezi, Trymore Mtisi, Tapfumanei Gweshe, goalkeepers Philip Nhete and Matthew Wurayayi and key forward Mwale to the newly-promoted side.
“When I came to Zimbabwe, I never dreamt I would play for any other team apart from Dynamos. It is the club that really helped shape my career.
“But Mtshumayeli (Moyo) and I had problems with our accommodation and Joel Sengeredo came in to help us as a supporter.
“We were moved from Courtney Hotel in town to some very nice flats in Borrowdale.
“Things changed when Sengeredo started his own team.
“Dynamos were struggling and he had made us sign contracts to acknowledge that he was sponsoring us.
“So, we just followed whatever instructions he gave.
“There was a big difference between what we were getting at Dynamos and what Shooting Stars offered. So, the other players just followed.”
At his peak, Mwale tormented opposition defenders despite his small frame.
He also scored lots of goals for Dynamos, including one that helped the Glamour Boys survive relegation while denying Masvingo United a chance to lift their only league title at Mucheke in 2005.
“My strength was that I had the scoring abilities and I just capitalised on that.
“I remember there was a lot of competition at Dynamos because they had very good players like Agent Sawu, Eddie Mashiri, Edmore Mufema and Norman Maroto.
“I really enjoyed winning against Highlanders because when you talk of big games in Southern Africa, you cannot ignore that one.
“My biggest wish in life was to play with Samson Choruwa. It’s sad the guy got injured but we had made friendship during the Cosafa Under-20 Championship in South Africa.
“I got to know many Zimbabwean players at that tournament and it made it easier for me to decide to come there.
“I remember we lost to Zimbabwe in the semi-finals but I had also struck good friendships with the likes of Nyasha Chazika, Eddie Mashiri and Newton Katanha.
“I was the top goalscorer for Zambia at that tournament. I was very young when I came to Dynamos.
“Some people think Keegan Mumba had an influence but it was boss (Ignatius) Pamire who personally came to fetch me from Zambia.
“The players, most notably Tonderayi Ndiraya and Desmond Maringwa showed me love and they really helped my confidence. I owe them a lot.”
Mwale joined Dynamos in 2003.
DeMbare were determined in the title race that season but were distracted by boardroom chaos.
The controversy centred on the decision by the Premier Soccer League to deduct three points from their tally after they ruled striker Mufema should not have been fielded against Lancashire Steel in a game the Glamour Boys won 2-1.
Mufema was involved in a player wrangle between Dynamos and Motor Action.
The controversy saw the Glamour Boys finishing three points behind Amazulu, in the championship race.
But the year 2005 when the Glamour Boys found themselves facing the grim possibility of being relegated will forever haunt his resume.
Mwale had just returned from an unsuccessful stint with South Africa’s Black Leopards. Dynamos needed to win the last game at all costs against title-chasing Masvingo United at Mucheke for them to survive.
The diminutive Zambian came to the party by scoring the first goal before Elliot Matsika secured safety with the second on a rain-soaked pitch.
DeMbare finished just four points clear of the last relegation slot thanks largely to four wins in their last four matches.
“The year 2005 took something out of my dignity.
“I think it was the worst season for me but I don’t agree with people who say that we were the worst Dynamos team.
“That team had talent but the players lacked motivation.
“The club’s finances were not good and if you remember that time the players fought a lot with the leadership.
“That obviously affected results. But if you go back to history you will see that we won the opening games consecutively before these things started.
“Two years back, the same team almost won the league title with Keegan Mumba but we had three points deducted because of the Edmore Mufema issue.”
Interestingly, after the 2006 exodus, they faced Dynamos in their opening match of the season.
The hostile reception they got provided a glimpse of the gravity of the enmity they created enemies with the Dynamos fans.
The new-look Dynamos won 1-0 courtesy of Evans Gwekwerere.
“It’s not easy to leave a club like Dynamos and then play the first game against them.
“The same fans that used to love and adore us were the same that unleashed all forms of insults.
“They called us prostitutes and I thought we deserved to lose that game. It didn’t set the right tone for our season. At the same time it propelled Dynamos.
“The likes of Evans Gwekwerere had previously tried their luck when we were still at Dynamos but they weren’t good enough.
“So, we made enemies everywhere. We were not free to visit night clubs, restaurants and even walk in the streets without getting insults from Dynamos fans. It was a difficult period.
“We played Dynamos again in the last game of the season and it didn’t end well. Our director Sengeredo and our coaches (Gishon Ntini and his assistant Jostein Mathuthu) got arrested afterwards.
“We didn’t know what was happening but I remember we had camped in Norton for this game. It was a do-or-die for us and we played our hearts out.
“We had survived relegation on the last day with Dynamos the previous year and it was odd to find ourselves in the same situation again.”
Shooting Stars needed to win the last game against Dynamos to survive.
The Wild Boys raced to a 3-0 lead in that decisive encounter but the match was abandoned with just over an hour played when disgruntled DeMbare fans started throwing missiles on the pitch, accusing them of allegedly throwing the match. The Wild Boys were reported to the police for alleged bribery of players and the matter was later resolved at the courts. Mwale played for DeMbare rivals CAPS United between 2008 and 2011 before returning to Zambia where he had further stints with the likes of Zanaco and Napsa Stars.
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