Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi-Zimpapers Sports Hub
DYNAMOS coach Lloyd Chigowe has a lot to ponder this morning as he welcomes old and new players to kick-start the pre-season training after the club confirmed the departure of a host of key players at the weekend.
The Harare giants bade farewell to six of the eight players that have left the club, as more exits are expected to be announced.
DeMbare confirmed that the duo of Tanaka Shandirwa and Issa Sadiki have returned to their parent club, Yadah, following the expiry of their loan spell, while Namibian forward Sadney Urikhob, midfielder Emmanuel Ziocha, and twins Kelvin and Elvis Moyo have already moved on after choosing not to renew their contracts.
Ziocha and fellow midfielder Donald Mudadi have since been unveiled by champions Simba Bhora, while the Moyo siblings have found a new home at the newly promoted side Scottland, together with Urikhob.
DeMbare also lost assistant coach Joel Lupahla, who has been hired by Simba Bhora as head coach.
The Dynamos executive committee last week met to plan for the upcoming season, in which they are going to fight on two fronts as they get to represent the nation in the CAF Confederation Cup for the second year on the trot.
Club spokesperson David Chikomo told Zimpapers Sports after the meeting that the Glamour Boys are looking to assemble a squad good enough for the African safari despite the exodus.
“I think you have seen names (of the players that are leaving); we’ve posted names so far. We have guys that have left the club, like Donald Mudadi and Sadney Urikhob.
“We just couldn’t renew their contracts because they had considered going somewhere else at the expiration of their contracts. “But for those who have contracts, by the end of tomorrow we’ll tell you who is going and who is staying.
“We are definitely looking forward to the Confed Cup, and remember, we would like to correct all the mistakes that we made in the previous Confed Cup campaign.
“So, yeah, we are preparing. We are assembling a team, considering that we are going to go back and represent Zimbabwe in the African safari,” said Chikomo.
But things are not looking rosy on the ground.
The Glamour Boys have had to defer the commencement of their pre-season training, which was supposed to kick off last Tuesday.
“We just wanted to assess the new boys that we have signed first before we mix them with the old guys. We need to share our philosophy with them first,” said Chikomo.
“That’s the reason why we said, okay, let’s have the new guys first for the first two days. They meet the executive, they meet the technical team, and then train with the coach (last) Thursday and Friday. Then Monday (today), the old guys return and train together with the new signings.”
Just like the situation in 2019 when DeMbare suffered a more devastating exodus, head coach Chigowe finds himself in the trenches again trying to repair and rebuild as the Harare giants under difficult circumstances.
“Naturally you would want continuity, but there are some circumstances that are beyond your control,” said Chigowe.
“So, you have to make do with what is available. At the end of the day, players come and go . . . But it also creates a window of opportunity for others,” he added.
Chigowe is today set to welcome trialists as well as the remainder of the old guard to get the pre-season training into full swing.
“We had players that we were looking at last week. We didn’t call for trials in the full sense of the word, but, of course, the turnout ended up bigger than we had envisioned. We had some good players from other PSL teams and others that we have already signed,” said Chigowe.
“There is always a lot of promise and talent, but there were others that we knew beforehand and did not want to assess them together with the larger group.
“Those that we have signed will be announced at once by the club. Tomorrow (today) we are anticipating some more players from division one and PSL clubs, but we have to retain a squad of 30 players. In the end we are a bit oversubscribed, but we will come right,” said Chigowe.
