Dynamos Is The Soul And Spirit Of Zimbabwean Football - Mablanyo
Dynamos coach Lloyd “Mablanyo” Chigowe says the club has a huge responsibility to represent Zimbabwe in CAF inter-club competitions, given Dynamos’ status as the most recognised Zimbabwean club on the African stage.
DeMbare will face off against Zambian club ZESCO United this Saturday in the second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup First preliminary round. The match will be played at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, Zambia.
The Glamour Boys go into the match with a slender 1-0 advantage after beating their rivals at the Gaborone National Stadium in Botswana last weekend.
This marks the first time in a decade that Dynamos have featured in a CAF inter-club competition.
Addressing a pre-match press conference in Ndola on Friday, the 60-year-old Chigowe expressed confidence that his squad will draw inspiration from the achievements of their predecessors, who reached the final of the CAF Champions League in 1998. Said Chigowe (via The Herald):
We intend to match them man for man. We believe they are a good side and we know they have got a recent history of success, not only in Zambia. But we are Dynamos; formed in 1963.
We have been to the final of the Champions League; we will play with pride tomorrow (today).
Dynamos is the soul and spirit of Zimbabwean football. When Dynamos goes to sleep, Zimbabwean football goes to sleep.
So, we are the flagbearers. We must lead the way in resuscitating football in Zimbabwe and we take the responsibility. We will give a good fight.
Chigowe said he feels at home in Zambia, where he was born in 1964, in Kitwe. He said:
We are one people. When we are here (in Zambia), we are at home. Myself, I was born here; my father had a farm here in Zambia in Mumbwa (district).
So, Zimbabwe and Zambia are Siamese twins, and it is Dynamos, who are always playing with adversity.
Every team in Zimbabwe want to beat Dynamos and for the greater part of last season, we were playing away from our home because our stadium was not certified.
So, we are used to playing away from home, that’s why we played in Gaborone, but we settled for that.
What is going to matter tomorrow (today) is the application from both teams and may the better team win.
Dynamos should expect a stern challenge from ZESCO United, the nine-time Zambian league champions, who will be a formidable opponent, particularly when playing at their home ground in Ndola.
ZESCO United coach George Lwandamina is determined to leverage the home advantage to overturn the first-leg deficit and secure ZESCO’s progression to the second preliminary round of the competition, scheduled for September. He said:
It’s a do-or-die game, being a qualifier to the next round, that’s how it becomes important for us.
We have to raise the bar of Zambian football not just ZESCO, so we are the servants of football and that’s why I had to come back (to ZESCO).
They (Dynamos) are tactically good, but I am sure we have to do more than what we did in Gaborone if we are to go past them, and I am sure the players are ready to do that.
We have to do our business on the pitch. I know fans are also important, they are the 12th player, but when you don’t have fans, you still have to play.
When you have more fans, you still have to play and do your business.
In a move to draw in more supporters, ZESCO United has slashed ticket prices for the second leg match, with the cheapest general admission ticket priced at just US$0.39 (K10), while the VIP tickets are available for US$6 (K150).
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