Big Three in trouble…Emerging new crop of teams rule the roost

Langton Nyakwenda

THE last time giants Dynamos, Highlanders and Caps United all finished in the top four was in 2009, just over 15 years ago.

Gunners won the title, with Dynamos coming second ahead of Caps United and Highlanders.
Bosso had won the league championship three years prior, their last since then.

The Bulawayo giants have failed to achieve a top-four finish since 2016, when they finished third behind champions Caps United and FC Platinum.

DeMbare have not lifted the championship trophy since 2014 while Makepekepe last won the title in 2016.

FC Platinum (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022), Ngezi Platinum Stars (2023) and defending champions Simba Bhora have won the title in the last seven years.

Last season, the Premiership’s so-called Big Three — Dynamos, Highlanders, and Caps United — all failed to finish in the top four.

Highlanders finished sixth, Dynamos eighth and Caps United ninth.

The giants are now playing second, if not third fiddle, to an emerging new crop of teams, especially those owned by mines like FC Platinum, Ngezi Platinum Stars and Manica Diamonds.

Simba Bhora owner, Simba Ndoro, is heavily involved in gold buying and selling.

If the situation in the current transfer market is anything to go by, the Premiership’s traditional giants will likely fall further down the pecking order.

Newly promoted moneybags Scottland FC are bullying the giants on the transfer market, and the so called Big Three are capitulating.

Highlanders have lost a couple of players to Scottland FC, including the influential pair of Peter Mudhuwa and 2024 Golden Boot winner Lynoth Chikuhwa.

Marvelous Chigumira and Godfrey Makaruse have also joined the Mabvuku side.

Dynamos lost defender Kevin Moyo to Scottland FC while Caps United conceded 2024 Soccer Star of the Year finalists Godknows Murwira and Kingsley Mureremba.

DeMbare are the worst hit in the current transfer market, as they have lost almost 10 players.

The Moyo twins Kevin and Elvis, Tanaka Shandirwa, Donald Mudadi, Emmanuel Ziocha, Shadreck Nyahwa, Frank Makarati, Emmanuel Paga, Issa Sadiki and Sadyney Urikhob are no longer with Dynamos.

With an unclear position on sponsorship, DeMbare are at their weakest and could also lose goalkeeper Martin Mapisa and 2024 Soccer Star of the Year finalist Emmanuel Jalai.

“The executive has remained mum on sponsorship and the future of key players like Jalai whose contract expired last December, and it’s very strange,” a source said.

Caps United administrator, Morton Dodzo, fears the Big Three will slip further if they don’t up their game.
“What is happening is very common in any industry particularly in a football ecosystem, so we have to adjust to the new trend and align ourselves to what is happening.

“In terms of finances we are not strong compared to the other teams but we have to be more professional so that we are perceived in a positive light, for us to attract sponsors,” said Dodzo.

The administrator thinks “going back to the basics” could save the traditional giants.

“We need to invest in club licensing, once we are compliant it means we have structures that include a sound junior policy.

“Junior development is a very cost effective way of doing things since we can’t compete on the market with these moneyed teams. “But, I am sure the good days will bounce back,” added Dzodzo.

Dynamos chief executive officer, Jonathan Mashingaidze, feels the traditional giants need “to get out of the comfort zone.”

He thinks the arrival of moneyed teams could be a blessing in disguise.

“These moneybags help to raise the bar, they force other teams to change the way they do their things,” says Mashingaidze.

“But, we also need to make sure that as Dynamos we ring fence our players in the sense that we offer competitive packages, which might not compare with the moneybags.”

Added Mashingaidze: “We need to strengthen the conveyor belt of talent by establishing viable youth teams. Back then big teams used to survive on talent coming from within the system.

“Because if you go on the market, you will find expensive players and in most cases we can’t compete with these emerging teams.”

Mashingaidze, however, feels there’s need for regulation of transfer fees and wages for players.
“Because we could end up finding obscene figures being thrown around.

“But, at the end of the day, we need to adjust, restore some semblance of order so that we can also attract endorsement partners.”