‘DYNAMOS REMAIN MBARE PROJECT’
LEGENDARY football commentator, Charles “CNN” Mabika, says Dynamos will remain a Mbare project, even though the Highfield suburb appears to be a new breeding ground for the club.
The Glamour Boys currently have eight players in their books who hail from Highfield, which is also popularly known as Fiyo.
There have been some suggestions that it is now time to consider calling them Dynamo-DeFiyo.
Dynamos currently have eight players which are Frank Makarati, Tanaka Shandirwa, Vusa Ngwenya, Issa Sadiki, Donald Mudadi, Temptation Chiwunga, Francis Jerimani, and Blessing Dziwo.
Highfield is even extending its dominance to the team’s technical department, where they have assistant coach Lloyd “Mablanyo” Chigowe and performance analyst Desmond Mhene.
Emmanuel Ziocha is the only player from Mbare currently at Dynamos.
This team was established in Mbare in 1963, and the team’s remaining founder, Bernard Marriot Lusengo, is also from this high-density suburb.
Dynamos were nicknamed DeMbare by Mabika in the ‘80s.
Mabika was inspired after learning that a team from Madagascar, which had visited the country to fulfil its CAF Confederation fixture, Dinamo Fima, was nicknamed Dinamo de Fima as they were based in Fima.
Mbare used to produce stars for their team, such as the late George Shaya, Lameck Mlambo, and Japhet Muparutsa, to mention just a few.
Mabika said the influx of Highfield-born players will never take away the Mbare in Dynamos.
“I remember I was sitting next to a journalist from Madagascar, and I asked why their club was nicknamed Dinamo de Fima.
“He told me that was the name of the city where the team was formed, and I just decided to do the same for Dynamos, and their fans loved it.
“It is one of the best moments in my career as a football commentator because I didn’t know if it was going to have such an impact on our local football.
“I don’t think it’s a problem that Highfield talent is now taking over at Dynamos. I think it also shows that football is evolving, but it’s something that must challenge youngsters in Mbare.
“Dynamos will forever be the face of Mbare because that’s where it was formed, and that cannot be taken away from them,” said Mabika.
Makarati will lead Dynamos for the second season in a row, in what will be his third campaign at the club.
The most intriguing part is that Makarati is the only player from this list who plays as a defender. His Highfield-bred teammates are all midfielders, and it means some are likely going to go unnoticed.
The club coach, Genesis Mangombe, last season preferred a midfield trio of Mudadi, Shandirwa, and Junior Makunike, who recently joined Simba Bhora.
Chiwunga, who is a specialist in Makunike’s role as a defensive anchorman, was brought in to provide cover for this gap.
Sadiki will continue to operate from the flanks.
But the recruits, Jerimani and Dziwo, will have to be at their best to outfox Mudadi and Shandirwa, who were at the heart of Dynamos’ success in the Chibuku Super Cup last season.
Vusa is yet to get his deserved chance, and several reports are suggesting he is going to be loaned elsewhere this coming campaign.