Wenslus Murape
Veronica Gwaze
Sports Reporter
WHENEVER Castle Lager Premiership side Dynamos steps on the pitch, there is a man who is often visibly jittery in the stands.
Often clad in DeMbare regalia, spotting a fancy haircut, he barely speaks during the course of the game especially when odds are against the blue army.
His sitting posture depicts the burden that he carries in his heart yet many barely recognise or talk about him.
This is the hero who ensures the Dynamos arrives safely at any match venue.
Since 2021, Andy Damiso is DeMbare’s unsung superman who has to sit behind the wheels and ferry the team to their games.
At a club where pressure from rivals and fans is immense, Damiso has stood the test of time with an unwavering dedication and calm demeanour.
“Being part of the Dynamos team is a giant task, let alone having to drive the team be it after victory or defeat,” he said.
“Remember the fans’ eyes are on these guys so the pressure of ferrying them from destination A to B is immense.
“On bad days, fans make the job difficult by blocking exit points so you also need to develop a relationship with them to understand how to handle situations.”
Although driving giants Dynamos seems like a tall order, Damiso said he does it with ease.
This is largely because growing up, his father supported the blue army which saw him also develop mad love for the team.
After school, he became a truck driver before upgrading to be a Class One driver.
In 2018, he joined Herentals as the man in charge of their team bus.
Despite staying within the School Boys’ camp for three years, they understood that he was a staunch Dynamos supporter.
He recalls in June 2020, ferrying the team to the late coach Biggie Zuze’s funeral.
It is here that he got to interact with the Dynamos camp in conversations that he feels opened doors for him.
“They were surprised at how closely I followed and supported the team despite working for a rival team…it was not long after the funeral that I then got a job offer at DeMbare,” he said.
“I did not think twice about taking it so working at Chazunguza was a dream come true.”
Since joining Dynamos, one trip stands out for the driver.
“We lost 1-0 to Triangle through an own goal by former Defender Partson Jaure,” he recalls.
“The journey back to Harare was tough for me, the boys were emotionally down and watching them like that tore me deep down.
“When the team loses, it hits me hard so every time I always pray for a win.”
His best moment was when Dynamos booted out F.C Platinum from the Chibuku Super Cup last year.
DeMbare, under MaBlanyo’s watch stormed into the Chibuku Super Cup last four after claiming a penalty shootout victory against the platinum miners at Mandava.
The match had ended 1-1 in regulation time, with Jarrison Selemani getting the hosts’ goal while Keith Madera got the equalizer for the visitors.
Frank Makarati, Kelvin Moyo, Denver Mukamba, Ellie Ilunga and Emmanuel Ziocha converted their spot kicks for Dynamos.
Opponents’ Innocent Mucheneka was then denied a shot by substitute goalkeeper Frank Kuchineyi while Gift Mbweti, Nomore Chinyerere, Perfect Chikwende found the target.
“Although we eventually won the Cup, booting out F.C felt like everything to us.
“The ecstasy took me to heaven and back,” Damiso said.
“I have witnessed all the team’s highs and lows since 2021 and getting a chance to play in the African Safari also meant a lot for me, let alone making it to the next round.
“We have the capacity to proceed even into the next round later this month, we just need to remain consistent in the domestic league for confidence.”
Online Reporter