HOW the mighty had fallen—and how dramatically they rose.
When referee Thabani Rozario blew his final whistle, a wave of jubilation erupted among the Dynamos faithful who had thronged Rufaro Stadium yesterday.
The country’s most decorated football club, Dynamos (DeMbare), had secured a last-gasp survival, ensuring their Premier League status on the final day following a tense goalless draw with FC Platinum.
This was a miraculous happy ending to an otherwise forgettable season, which also saw fellow giants Highlanders and Chicken Inn sweating out their own survival until the very last fixture.
Dynamos’ “Great Escape” was fuelled by a stunning late-season surge, an 11-match unbeaten run that hauled them out of the relegation zone — a feat that, at one point, looked all but impossible.
This dramatic turnaround is perhaps why coach Kelvin Kaindu, who presided over the unbeaten streak, described it as a sheer “miracle”, reflecting on the difficult decision he made to join the struggling club.
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“First of all, it was a very difficult decision for me to come and join Dynamos,” Kaindu recalled.
“Looking at the position where Dynamos was, I think there were about three or four clubs that probably wanted me to join them. I looked at Dynamos and the points that they had.”
He credited a higher calling for his move: “But one important thing is that sometimes when you are a child of God, you move in the direction of God. And the Lord says, ‘Go to Dynamos’. I have to go. Honestly, I think this is a miracle.”
Kaindu dismissed sceptics of the supernatural in football.
“There are people who say there is no miracle in football. But what we have witnessed today is that for Dynamos to survive, honestly, it’s a miracle.”
He highlighted the monumental gap they had to close.
“If you look at the points that Dynamos had by the time that we joined them... some teams were about 16, 17, or 18 points ahead.
“Some of them even managed to catch up with them, playing all the games unbeaten,” Kaindu said.
“But still on the verge of relegation, one thing that I told the players today, I said, ‘No matter what result we are going to record today, we remain in the league’.”
The match against Dynamos also marked the end of an era for FC Platinum, as it was the last game for legendary coach Norman Mapeza, who announced his departure after more than a decade at the helm of the Zvishavane-based side.
Mapeza confirmed the news in his post-match Press conference, though the club had already released a statement before kickoff.
“Before I can say what transpired in today’s meeting, I think it would be good so that you can hear what was happening through me. This is my last day today. I’ve been at FC Platinum for the past 10 and a half years,” he said.
“What I did, what I didn’t do, I don’t need to explain to anybody, but this is my last day for FC Platinum today.”
Reflecting on the match, he noted: “I think it was a good game of football. In the first half, I think we had a lot of opportunities.
“In the second half, I think that opportunity we got and we ended up missing. That was our situation, I think, for the whole of the season — missing opportunities.”
Mapeza confessed that the season, which saw them finish in sixth position, was subpar, pointing to key player losses.
“We lost Brian, and to be honest, we failed to replace him. I think some of these guys, they also got affected psychologically... Still, if you saw what was happening today, it was in that final third, where we had some challenges,” he said.
While Dynamos secured their place in the league next season, the same cannot be said for three other clubs whose fate was sealed on the final day.
Yadah FC lost 1-0 away to Simba Bhora, confirming their drop, while Green Fuel were held to a 1-1 draw by Triangle United, meaning Green Fuel are relegated and Triangle United survived.
Bikita Minerals were also sent down in only their second season in the top-flight league after losing 1-0 to Manica Diamonds at Sakubva Stadium.
Final day results
Dynamos 0-0 FC Platinum.
Chicken Inn 1-1 Highlanders.
Kwekwe United 0-2 CAPS United.
Simba Bhora 1-0 Yadah.
Greenfuel 1-1 Triangle United
Manica Diamonds 1-0 Bikita Minerals