Former Dynamos Head Coach Lloyd Chigowe, Assistant Coach Murape Murape and Team Manager Richard Chihoro during a Premier League match in 2018. Picture/H-Metro
By Tanaka Gwanyanya
Former Dynamos assistant coach, Murape Murape has poured his heart out and claimed the Dembare family owes former Head Coach Lloyd “Mablanyo” Chigowe and his backroom staff credit for saving Dynamos through sacrifice and own initiatives during the turbulent 2018-2019 seasons.
MaBlanyo and Murape Murape together with Expense Chitukutuku (2nd Assistant Coach) and Marlon Janhi (Goalkeepers coach) were thrust into the coaching seat at Dynamos in September 2018 with their first assignment being to save Dynamos from relegation, after the team’s string of poor results under Lloyd Mutasa left them sitting just a point above the relegation zone with only 7 matches to go.
The new coaches stepped in and quickly interjected the downward spiral of the Club, first saving Dembare from relegation and then starting the 2019 season on a high note with a comfortable 2-0 scoreline against Mushowani Stars.
However, disaster was to unfold at the Harare based club in the following matches as Dembare suffered four humiliating defeats in a row- securing 3 points out of possible 15, a situation which led the Isaiah Mupfurutsa-chaired executive to conclude that Mablanyo and crew were not the right candidates to restore Dembare’s lost glamour.
On their last loss against Herentals, after which Mablanyo was axed, Dembare supporters went ballistic against Mablanyo after the match, hurling insults and baying for his blood.
It is over three years since Mablanyo and his staff were shown the exit door, the Club and the coaches have moved on and Murape Murape has reflected on his experiences as coach during that time.
In an open letter posted on his Facebook page, Monya for Hire, as he is fondly known by the Dynamos legion of fans, revealed the pathetic conditions of service that the coaches and players were subjected to during his time at Dynamos, which he believes made achieving set objectives difficult.
He said the love for the team was the only driving force that made Mablanyo and crew serve such a big club when there was no money to support the recruitment of quality players and pay salaries and bonuses.
“When I was one of the assistant coaches at Dynamos in 2018 alongside Mablanyo first we saved the team from relegation. People seem to forget that fact and we should get credit for that job well done,” said the former Dynamos captain.
Murape Murape said at that time, the club was bankrupt and faced with a transfer window but without funds to buy players, the coaches mulled the idea of recruiting players through trials and informal negotiations as opposed to the formal procedure of signing professional players from other teams in the league.
“The team had no money, no sponsorship for the 2019 season and for us to assemble a team we had to hold trials, beg for players from academies, Division One and Two clubs which is not normal and very taboo for a big team like Dynamos,” he said.
Murape said they knew that their job was difficult especially with the hard-to-please demands of Dynamos fans.
“I remember joking with Mablanyo ndichimuti mudhara wangu apa nemamiriro akaita zvinhu plus nemasapotaz eDynamos wotomira patouchline wakapfeka helmet.” (I used to joke with Mablanyo saying because of the demanding nature of Dynamos fans, he needed to put on a helmet when going for matches)
Inspite of working without resources, the coaches managed to assemble a team, although it became difficult for the Glamour Boys to post their top shelf performances.
Murape said, although results did not come as per Dynamos standards, he cherishes what he achieved at Dynamos as a coach under difficult circumstances.
“All I can say is I am very proud of the job we did because no coach wanted the Dynamos job at that particular time because there were no funds to buy quality players, to pay a decent salary to the coaches simply because the team had no money and no sponsorship then.”
Murape and Lloyd Chigowe were coaching the Dynamos juniors then and after the departure of Lloyd Mutasa, the two were redeployed to the senior team as the Dynamos executive had no funds to hire a new coach from outside Dembare structures.
“We never applied for the job to coach Dynamos but the Dynamos executive assigned us to the senior team because many good coaches who were approached, refused to take the job,” added Murape.
“I don’t know whether me and Mablanyo were the coaches the team really needed, because in reality we were just the ones who were available and willing to die for the Dynamos cause.”
Murape said those who mocked Mablanyo and his coaching staff did not know what was going on at Dembare. He said in fact Mablanyo was a Dembare hero who sacrifised to coach a big team like Dynamos without resources when others were refusing to work without guarantee of money.
“I see people make fun and mockery of Mablanyo, but to me I see a real man among men because the task was just too much without adequate resources.”
“We failed as coaches but I salute the players who were willing to play for the team even though there was no gaurantee of money.”
He closed by rallying Dembare to do the proper things using the resources now available for the Club.
“Now the club is well funded, let’s appreciate that by doing the right things and work together for the benefit and good of the team.”
