Spare a thought for Dinyero

16 years down the line – as the ghost of Algiers struck again to destroy yet another dream to conquer the continent.
Dinyero and Kawondera might have moved on, from the players who arrived with his trailblazing Blackpool team in Algiers on October 27 1995, to become the assistant coaches at Dynamos.
But, as they found out in Algiers, on yet another heartbreaking night for him on Sunday, some things never change in the obscure world of African football where cheating is rampant and match officials can even be a bigger threat to visiting teams than their host opponents.
Lightning, indeed, can strike twice.
As the Glamour Boys count the costs after a 0-3 defeat in Algiers, thanks to the helping hand of a referee, the former Blackpool midfielders will probably rewind to October ‘95 and realise a chilling similarity to two events – spread over 16 years – which broke their hearts.
Somehow the script looks strikingly familiar.
When JS Kabylie arrived in Harare that month for their Caf Cup of Cup Winners’ semi-final, first leg tie against Blackpool, there were problems over the hotel booked for the visitors and the fiery Algerians stormed out of the Quality International to book themselves in the Holiday Inn.
They duly filed a complaint with Caf.
When MC Alger arrived in Harare last month for their Champions League first round, first leg tie against Dynamos, there were problems over the hotel booked for the visitors with the Algerians spending about two hours seated in the lobby amid reports that their hosts had not secured funds for the bookings.
They duly filed a complaint with Caf.
Blackpool beat JS Kabylie 2-1 in that match at Rufaro, before a bumper crowd of over 30 000, but – even in their hour of triumph – it was clear that Dinyero’s mistake, which gave the Algerians a precious away goal, could prove costly in the end. Interestingly, Dinyero was Blackpool’s best player that afternoon and duly scored a goal for his team.
Dynamos thrashed MC Alger 4-1 in their Champions League tie at Rufaro, before a big crowd of over 30 000, but – even in their hour of victory – it was clear that Denver Mukamba’s schoolboy error, which gave the Algerians a priceless away goal, could prove costly in the end.
Interestingly, Mukamba was DeMbare’s best player that afternoon and duly scored a gem of a goal in the 4-1 victory.
As Blackpool prepared for the return leg in Algiers, the Harare side ran into serious financial problems and sent an SOS to Zifa and the Sports Commission and, with funds being only secured at the last minute, the team’s flight was delayed by a day and they eventually left on a Wednesday. Such was Ndochi’s plight that they could only carry 14 players.
DeMbare ran into similar problems, too, as they prepared for the return leg in Algiers last week, with the Glamour Boys struggling to raise funds for airfares, and their departure for Algeria was delayed by a day, with the team eventually leaving on Thursday.
Blackpool took a longer route, flying to London, then Paris and Marseille in France before landing in Algiers.
Dynamos also went through Europe, flying to Paris and then Algiers.
Then, as now, the visiting Zimbabwean team tried to protect their lead with Blackpool using George Mbwando as the lone target man while Dynamos used Rodrick Mutuma in a similar role on Sunday night.
Then, just like now, the referees were from Egypt with Gamal Ghandour handling the Blackpool/JS Kabylie match wile Fahim Omar was tasked with handling the Dynamos/MC Alger game.
And then, just like now, the decisions were so biased towards the home team that the referee had a significant effect on the final result of the match.
Interestingly Blackpool, having weathered the storm for much of the game in Algiers, conceded a decisive goal in the 76th minute and, on Sunday, Dynamos conceded the decisive controversial second goal at around the same minute.
Adlane Hadji’s rising shot beat substitute Blackpool goalkeeper Trouble Selemani for the priceless goal for JS Kabylie to tie the aggregate score at 2-2 and the Algerians, who went on to win the tournament, qualified on the away goals rule.
Selemani, who replaced the injured Ernest Chirambadare, was headbutted by Fawzi Noussouni in the 70th minute and referee Ghandou decided to show the Algerian a yellow card while Collins Kabote was fouled in the box but, as expected, the referee waved play on.
It was a crucial blow for the brave Blackpool who had watched their coach Joel Shambo being escorted out of the field, at gun-point, after being expelled by the referee midway in the second half.
“We have the experience,” said JS Kabylie public relations’ officer Ahmed Ouali, after the match.
“Blackpool are a good team but they are young and they need time.
“They also need to be disciplined and they have to have good organisation.”
His words, 16 years later, could also be ringing true for Dynamos.
The Glamour Boys earned a collection of yellow cards while Archieford Gutu and Guthrie Zhokinyi were sent off an ill-tempered match.
The turning point for Sunday’s game came when MC Alger were awarded a 77th minute penalty.
Then, just like now, the Zimbabwean team crashed out on the away goals rule after the game ended 4-4 on aggregate but the Algerians benefited from the away goal they scored at Rufaro.
While Dynamos will look back at the way the referee on Sunday aided the cause of the home team, it is also true that the Glamour Boys were their worst enemies, as they marked their worst Champions League campaign, after conceding a silly goal at home.
Questions will always be asked whether the same penalty would have been given, by an Egyptian referee to Dynamos in Algiers, but DeMbare will, on reflection, realise that they blew their chances at home and, in those dying moments of the game at Rufaro, they opened a window of hope for the Algerians.
If Dynamos had won 4-0, as surely they should have done, then it would have been a mountain to climb for the Algerians – either by hook or crook.
But this Class of Glamour Boys, dominated by a number of players playing at this level for the first time, showed their lack of experience and that penalty, earned by the Algerians at Rufaro, should have been avoided.
Having played attacking football all pre-season, it was also very clear that Dynamos would struggle to suddenly switch their way of playing now that they wanted to defend their lead in Algeria and their tactics, in Algiers, also became their downfall.
It was a big call to ask these players, after months spent spraying the ball around, to suddenly switch to the defensive mode in hostile enemy territory where the match officials were also playing for the home team.
Significantly, the two big moments that cost Dynamos in the end involved their young stars with Mukamba giving away the penalty at Rufaro and Gutu being penalised for the penalty in Algiers.
For players used to attack, suddenly being asked to defend was probably too much for them and, the probability of them making a mistake was great.
It took Dinyero and Kawondera 16 years to return to Algiers and, this time, the duo – who played the full 90 minutes when Blackpool were beaten 0-1 in 1995 – must have been hoping for better returns. After all, Dynamos were holding a healthy lead.
But both Dinyero and Kawondera must have known that strange things happen in African football and, probably haunted by the nightmare of that last visit, they both preached for caution ahead of Sunday’s match. And, as if on cue, lightning struck twice.
Football can be really cruel.