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Chaos rocks DeMbare

Sport
JUST when everyone expected Dynamos to be stepping up preparations for the impending Confederations of African Football (Caf) Champions League competitions next month, the Harare giants have plunged into their characteristic problems.

JUST when everyone expected Dynamos to be stepping up preparations for the impending Confederations of African Football (Caf) Champions League competitions next month, the Harare giants have plunged into their characteristic problems.

REPORT BY HENRY MHARA SPORTS REPORTER

The league champions start their Champions League campaign with a preliminary match against Lesotho Correctional Services on February 12 before what appears to be tough first and second round ties.

If they manage to go past the Lesotho test, Kalisto Pasuwa’s men will face the winner between Club Berzetin of Tunisia and Ettihad of Libya.

The task will become even more daunting for Dynamos if they manage to clear the hurdle posed by the two North African teams, as current Caf Champions League Cup holders Al Ahly of Egypt will be next in line in the second round.

But all seems to be in a shambles at the Harare giants.

Their much publicised training camp in Kariba is proving to be nothing more than a media hoax.

The team was expected to start camp in the resort town on Monday this week, but nothing on the ground suggests it is still possible.

Sources yesterday told NewsDay Sport that the club had failed to raise funds for the proposed camp.

Dynamos’ usual training ground Raylton Sports Club yesterday resembled a neglected village football patch with the grass now reaching knee level.

The technical team tried unsuccessfully to shift base to Zimphos Sports Club, with the club’s top hierarchy insisting that they should continue using Raylton, which is bumpy and waterlogged.

Dynamos’ problems heightened this week when they failed to sign some of the players they had targeted and registered for the Champions League.

Aaron Katebe, who was their top target, has joined FC Platinum.

Martin Vengesai, who turned for the champions last season, has joined Harare City after failing to agree a contract with Dynamos. The loss of Vengesai and Katebe means that two slots on Dynamos’ 25-member Caf Champions league squad have been wasted and the team will need to fork out $2 000 to fill them up.

Two other players, Boban Ziruntusa and Francesco Zikumbawire are yet to join the rest of the squad.

Ziruntusa, a Ugandan international, is still holed up in his country as Dynamos are reportedly failing to pay $500 for his airfare to Harare, while Zikumbawire, on loan from Hwange, is at the Colliery. He is also waiting for Dynamos to pay his loan transfer fee of $15 000 before he can board the bus to Harare.

Pasuwa’s situation has been made even more difficult after the all-powerful Dynamos board of directors turned down the coach’s request to include Evans Gwekwerere in the Champions League squad as a replacement for Vengesai.

Gwekwerere has been training with Dynamos since last week, but was stopped on Tuesday this week in what has been seen as an act of revenge by the board for dumping Dynamos in 2011 for Caps United.

As if this was not enough, one of their top strikers from last season, Rodreck Mutuma, has left for trials in South Africa with Bloemfontein Celtic and if he makes the grade, Pasuwa will be left with only Simba Sithole and greenhorn Farai Mupasiri as strikers.

A number of Dynamos players registered for the Champions League are carrying injuries.

Of the 20 players that reported for training at Raylton yesterday, Milton Makopa, Sithole, Ocean Mushure and new boy Sydney Linyama did not train due to injuries.

Pasuwa said: “I had wanted all the 25 players registered to be here for better planning, but only 16 are training at the moment. It’s a bit disappointing.”