Eagles pair Kawinga & Jimu Dembare bound

By Eddie Chikamhi

Premiership soccer giants Dynamos have agreed terms with Eagles and are on the verge of securing the signatures of their chief striker Clive Kawinga and goalkeeper Knowledge Jimu for the remainder of the 2010 season.

Club secretary-general Oliver Manyau yesterday confirmed that Kawinga, whose goals propelled Eagles into the Premiership from the Eastern Region Division One two seasons ago, and Jimu were their first signings during the mid-season transfer window which opened on July 1.

Kawinga will be making a permanent move to Dynamos while Jimu has been released on a season’s loan.

“We have acquired Kawinga on a permanent basis from Eagles and what remains is for us to agree personal terms with the player. We also got goalkeeper Knowledge Jimu on a season’s loan.

“These are the only signings that we have made during this period. The technical department guides us on player acquisitions and right now they have not indicated to us if they need another player,” said Manyau.

The two appear to be direct replacements for goalkeeper Washington Arubi and striker Cuthbert Malajila who might move to South Africa for the ABSA Premiership set to begin next month if they make the grade during their trial stints.

Malajila is currently trying his luck at Maritzburg United while Arubi is at Durban-based Amazulu. Arubi, who had taken his place as Dynamos’ first choice goalkeeper, was taken for trials in South Africa by his club Bantu Rovers. Arubi is a Bantu Rovers player on loan to Dynamos.

Jimu’s move to Dynamos will cushion the club in the face of a goalkeeping crisis that was only made worse by the non-availability of Willard Manyatera who has decided to keep DeMbare guessing his next move following the expiry of his contract with the Glamour Boys.

Dynamos, however, were making frantic efforts to persuade Manyatera to stay last week but no terms have been reached yet. Manyau said they were still negotiating with the player and was positive the goalkeeper was staying put at Dynamos.

Team manager Nyika Chifamba said Dynamos were preparing for the worst in the event that Malajila and Arubi make it across the Limpopo.

“Malajila and Arubi are currently in South Africa but that doesn’t mean they have settled there. It’s just trials and they should be coming back this week but if they don’t, we are glad that our house will be in order after the acquisition of these two players from Eagles.

“We didn’t want to be caught in a situation where we would be found wanting. We are working under extreme difficult financial conditions but we are doing everything possible to make sure that our technical team get all they need. This should be good news to the Dynamos family especially now that we want to consolidate our position on the Premiership table,” said Chifamba.

He said he did not doubt the value the pair will add to the Glamour Boys’ Premiership campaign but was not sure if they will register one of them for the single slot that remains for the Champions League.

“Kawinga is a quality player and any team in the Premiership would want to have him. Even former national team coach Sunday Chidzambwa rated him highly when he included him in the CHAN squad last year. “But whether the coaches will register one of the players for Champions League, the decision is entirely up to them,” said Chifamba.

Meanwhile, Dynamos have received confirmation to participate in an invitational tournament in South Africa over the weekend of July 24-25.

The tournament will take place in-between Dynamos’ opening Champions League mini-league tie against TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo this weekend and the second match away to Algeria’s Entente Setif over the weekend of July 31 and August 1.

Four teams — Dynamos, Bloemfontein Celtic, Orlando Pirates and Botswana champions Township Rollers — will take part in the tournament in South Africa. Dynamos vice-chairman Ken Mubaiwa and secretary-general Manyau will attend the draw that takes place on Thursday.

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