DeMbare to retain players?

By Eddie Chikamhi

Giants Dynamos are hoping to convince champions FC Platinum to extend the loan deal of talented winger Cleopas Kapupurika.

The pacy 21-year-old forward rose from obscurity after featuring prominently in the Glamour Boys’ rebuilding campaign in which they finished second in the title race with a group of “unknown” players.

DeMbare president Kenny Mubaiwa yesterday said the technical team has indicated they have the winger in their plans and are even keen to have him on permanent basis.

But FC Platinum have indicated they could recall their players on loan in preparation for their participation in the CAF Champions League next season.

“It’s no secret we want Kapupurika to be part of us. Look he is young and has been one of the most promising players this season when our team was rebuilding.

“The coaches want him, we also would want that continuity. Definitely, he is one player in our plans going forward.

“His contract with FC Platinum is going to expire and we would want to negotiate for a permanent move. The onus is on him to make the decision whether to stay or to return to FC Platinum. But I feel he has better chances of playing at Dynamos than at FC Platinum,” said Mubaiwa.

The Harare businessman said De- Mbare are keen to retain the bulk of the players who made up their team in the just-ended season for the sake of continuity.

Dynamos had to start on a new slate at the beginning of the season after they lost the bulk of their team due to their inability to compete with the other teams on the market.

Still some of the players in the current squad are yet to make up their minds following a difficult season which the players are owed considerable sums in winning bonuses and salary arrears.

The Glamour Boys are set for a crunch meeting this week to review the just-ended season and to plan ahead. De- Mbare are also deciding on the future of Cameroonian striker Joel Epoupa after receiving enquiries from as far afield as Belgium and South Africa.

“We had wanted to hold this meeting last Friday but then we received the sad news of the death of one of our board members, Owen Chandamale.

“So we still have to sit down and see where we are coming from and where we are going as a club. This has been one of the most competitive seasons and I think our boys and the technical team did very well.

“But we still have to look at areas which we fell short and why we could not cross the line first.

“Overall, I think these guys did very well under difficult circumstances. The economy hasn’t been kind especially to us but these guys managed to finish above some teams that are well sponsored.

“So they deserve another chance, we have to try and maintain the team as it is and probably beef up and I am sure we will do even better next season,” said Mubaiwa.

Meanwhile, Dynamos board member and ZIFA Harare province chairman Owen Chandamale, who died in Harare on Friday, was buried yesterday at Glen Forest Memorial Park.

The 77-year-old administrator had been suffering from diabetes.

Mourners who included ZIFA officials, the Dynamos family led by their board chairman Bernard Marriot and president Kenny Mubaiwa, former ZIFA chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze, a representative of the supporters Michel “Chuchu’’ Chindowa and the football fraternity spoke glowingly about Chandamale’s contributions to the development of the game in the country.

Chandamale made his debut as a player for Dynamos in 1965 and later served the Harare giants in different capacities including a stint as the director of coaching during which time he spearheaded their development programmes. He was a qualified coach.

Chandamale took over from Robson Rundaba as DeMbare’s director of finance in 2014 and had been working closely with members of the board that included chairman Bernard Marriot-Lusengo, vice chairman Shacky Chitimbe, Charles Gwatidzo, Noel Musariyarwa, Lazarus Magwenzi, Fred Muzuva, Moses Mafusure, Bernard Chidziva and secretary Mthokozisi Nkosi.

He was also the chairman of the ZIFA Harare Province from 2000 up to the time of his death. The Herald