Jubilant Dynamos supporters yesterday brought movement in the capital to a screeching halt as they celebrated their team’s Castle Lager Premier Soccer League triumph following their 2-0 win over Kiglon at Rufaro Stadium.
A goal in each half from striker Roderick Mutuma and Guthrie Zhokinyi was all Dynamos needed after initially getting off to a nervy start against their bogey side Kiglon.
In the end Dynamos won the championship courtesy of their superior goal difference in what will go down as one of the tightest campaigns in the history of Zimbabwean football.
As Dynamos skipper Desmond Maringwa held aloft the shining piece of silverware, Rufaro Stadium was already abuzz with Dynamos fans chanting their victory songs in unison.
The players struggled to contain their joy following the achievement.
Dynamos have now won the championship a record 19 times, but what made this one more special for them and their fans was they had endured a four-year wait before reaching the Holy Grail.
Previous titles had come in 1963, 1965, 1966, 1970, 1976, 1978 (Rhodesia National Football League) and 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2007 (Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League).
Dynamos also became the first big team to win the championship title in four years after the so-called small teams Gunners, Monomotapa and Motor Action had won it during that period.
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Dynamos coach Calisto Pasuwa heaped praise on his players for showing some maturity after they had gone into the match under a lot of pressure to clear the final hurdle.
Pasuwa — after winning his first league championship as a coach — said: “I want to thank the players who featured in this match for showing great courage which ensured that we recovered well after getting off to a jittery start.
“In the end we got the goals we wanted and with a bit of luck we could have scored two or three more goals. My appeal to the players now is that they should not abandon the team, but stay so that we build a strong squad for the Caf Champions League campaign next season,” said Pasuwa.
The soft-spoken mentor also paid tribute to Lloyd Mutasa for assembling the squad at the start of the season.
“It would be unfair also not thank those who assembled this team. When I was called up to step in, the team was already good and all I did was to mould the team and make sure that there was cohesion,” added Pasuwa.
