By Langton Nyakwenda
Dynamos president Kenias Mubaiwa admits his club has fallen down the pecking order in terms of financial stability and pulling power.
The former champions are experiencing a financial nightmare following BancABC’s decision, early in the season, to cut its sponsorship by half.
The team is struggling to pay salaries and bonuses while their match day attendance figures are not impressive.
The emergence of mineral-backed teams such as FC Platinum, Ngezi Platinum Stars and How Mine as well as corporate supported outfits like Chicken Inn and ZPC Kariba has seen a major drift in the balance of power.
DeMbare are now lagging behind and they are no longer every player’s team of choice but Mubaiwa still believes.
“Yes, we are no longer the Dynamos of old in terms of financial stability but we remain a big team capable of causing all sorts of problems in the league.
“Things are not okay, we are struggling to meet some of our financial obligations but we have a combination of a good technical team and young players determined to push the Dynamos brand forward,” he said.
DeMbare are back in action today with a date against Triangle at Rufaro and will have to make do without suspended star player Denver Mukamba.
Their coach Lloyd Mutasa must be breathing easier now after the Dynamos executive last week told him that his job is safe even if he does not win the league title.
Mubaiwa added that winning the title this year will be a bonus for DeMbare.
“We are building a base for the future title assaults so if the championship comes this season it will be a bonus.
“We are also looking at going back to the good old days when we used to groom and export players,” Mubaiwa said.
A DeMbare son Taurai Mangwiro – who won two championship medals as a Dynamos player in 1989 and 1991 – will be on the opposite dugout this afternoon.
The Triangle coach reckons that his parent club still has a lot of work to do.
“They are rebuilding so you can’t compare this Dynamos to the formidable DeMbare teams of the 1990s,” said Mangwiro.
“They are doing their best and have put themselves within touching distance of the leading pack though there is still a lot of work they need to do.”
Fixtures
Shabanie Mine v Highlanders (Maglas), Dynamos v Triangle United (Rufaro), Chicken Inn v Bulawayo City (Luveve), Chapungu v Black Rhinos (Ascot), Ngezi Platinum v Hwange (Baobab). The Sunday Mail
