DeMbare old boys form club in London

By Robson Sharuko

DEMBARE legends, scattered across the world, have come together to form the Dynamos Old Boys Association whose grand project is to breathe life into the club’s junior structures and turn them into a productive nursery that will roll out quality Glamour Boys.

The Glamour Boys’ legends met in London on July 27 and elected a leadership, headed by former DeMbare skipper Memory Mucherahowa, and outlined their vision to help the club’s junior structures which used to be one of the Harare giants’ strongest assets when they imposed themselves as the dominant force in domestic football in the ‘80s.

Mucherahowa and his crew said they were not interested in the politics associated with running the Glamour Boys, which explains their decision to stay clear of the first team affairs, and devote their energies in helping revive the junior structures that have not been given the attention and support that such a vital arm of the club deserves.

The legends vowed to support whichever executive was thrust into office to run the affairs of the country’s biggest football club.

Mucherahowa was a product of a vibrant youth development programme, at the club, whose coaches spent as much time teaching the boys how to play football as they did instilling the Glamour Boy spirit and hammering home what it meant for them to just wear the club’s famous blue jersey.

Such products have been few, and far between, in recent years and when DeMbare spent 10 years without winning the league championship, between 1997 and 2007, the longest dry spell in the club’s history, critics blamed it on the absence of home-grown talent.

But Mucherahowa and his team want to change all that and believe that the club’s long-term future can only be guaranteed by an investment into the structures tasked with nurturing junior footballers who will be the stars of the future.

Mucherahowa wrote to the chairman of the Dynamos board of directors, Freddie Mkwesha, earlier this month advising him of their project.

“It’s a great pleasure to introduce ourselves as DOBA (Dynamos Old Boys Association). We feel honoured to be part of the wonderful Dynamos family,” Mucherahowa said in his letter.

“We held our 1st meeting on the 27th July 2013 in London and the following were duly elected as Committee Members — Memory Mucherahowa (chairman), Makwinji Soma Phiri (vice-chairman) and Bheki Mlotshwa (secretary-general).

“Our purpose is to look into assistance/welfare of the Dynamos Junior Section as well as helping each other (former players) in times of need and we hereby ask your esteemed office to consider our agenda.

“To kick-start our project, we have secured three sets of complete uniforms and 20 footballs which we will soon be send over to Zimbabwe for handing over to the Juniors.

“Please note that this association has nothing to do with running of Dynamos FC PVT LTD and this is association will always support the board, the executive and coaches in post at any given time.

“Our Liaison person would be Enock Jokomo whom you obviously know and is not new to the Dynamos family. Mr Jokomo shall contact you immediately upon arrival of the kits and to make arrangements for a handover ceremony.

“Please note that Mr Jokomo will be the link between ourselves, the board and executive. We will continue to strive and work together in order to achieve the standards required to make Dynamos Juniors a success.”

The letter was copied to Dynamos patron, Webster Shamu. Jokomo is part of a four-man committee that was unveiled by the DeMbare leadership in February this year to market the club’s brand, in their Golden Jubilee year, led by Harare businessman Ignatius Pamire.

The other members of the committee are Spencer Manguwa and Lloyd Hunda. Dynamos board of directors secretary, Chris Kasiyazi, responded to Mucherahowa’s letter saying his board was in full support of their project.

“This serves to confirm receipt of your letter dated 2nd Sept. 2013. The Board of Directors of Dynamos Football Club met on the 5th of September and unanimously endorsed this noble idea of helping the Dynamos Juniors,” wrote Kasiyazi.

“It is through such efforts that the Dynamos brand is carried forward. We look forward to a mutually beneficial working relationship with your Association.” The Herald