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Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
DYNAMOS have made a passionate appeal to sponsors to come on board and assist them in the 2014 Champions League campaign after the cash-strapped Harare giants made a commitment to participate in the tournament next year. DeMbare chairman Kenny Mubaiwa yesterday said the Glamour Boys will be praying for divine intervention to see their team through the competition after their principal sponsors BancABC advised them they would not bankroll their continental challenge next season.

The financial institution, however, remained committed to the sponsorship of the club’s participation in the domestic league as negotiations are almost complete to renew the three-year deal which expires this year.

The Glamour Boys need money to the tune of US$400 000 to see their campaign to the mini-league phase and DeMbare, who admitted that they have no funds, hope to get partners along the way.

Dynamos won their 20th title last Sunday on goal difference ahead of Highlanders and Harare City and will confirm their participation in the Champions League before the close of the Caf deadline today.

Addressing a press conference and flanked by vice-chairman David Mandigora, secretary-general Webster Chikengezha, committee member Simon Sachiti and board member Bernard Marriot, Mubaiwa said they have put their plight in the hands of God.

“We are praying for divine intervention and when you pray God answers. We will be praying for this Champions League and if we put all our hopes on prayer one day we will get a sponsor,” said Mubaiwa.

“We received a letter from BancABC on Wednesday night and it was only yesterday (Thursday) that we started to run around to look for a sponsor.

“So far from what I heard from the people that I have spoken to, they are willing but we will see as we go.

“We were hoping that our sponsors BancABC were going to sponsor us in the Champions League but, unfortunately, they said they can’t do so.

“But seeing that Dynamos are champions and that we don’t want to let down our fans we have decided to participate in the Champions League without a sponsor.”

Mubaiwa said they was no going back on their commitment to take part in the Champions League.

“We are hoping to register tomorrow, which is Saturday November 30, the deadline for Caf.  We started yesterday (Thursday) running up and down to look for a sponsor,” said Mubaiwa.

“We are hoping to get one or two and we would like you guys (media) to help us look for sponsors because we don’t have.

“That is the reason we called you here because people have been phoning wanting to know what is the position with the Caf Champions League, who is our sponsor and what BancABC is doing?

“We don’t have a sponsor for Champions League but we are going ahead. We are joining tomorrow (today) and we will make sure the team will fulfil all matches. We are going to do that.”

English side Tottenham Hotspur have a different shirt sponsor for their domestic commitments and when they play in European competitions, starting from this season.

DeMbare will be returning to the African jungle next year hoping to turn around fortunes following disappointing performances in the last three seasons where they failed to reach the lucrative mini-league phase.

But the Harare giants remain the most successful Zimbabwean team in the African Champions League after they reached the final in 1998 but lost to ASEC Mimosa in controversial fashion.

They also reached the semi-finals in 2008 while they managed to get to the mini-league stages in 1999 and in 2010.

However, DeMbare have failed to go beyond the second round in their last three campaigns in 2011, 2012 and 2013 despite continuing with their dominance in the Castle Lager Premiership.

Despite their financial instability, Dynamos have decided to take the risk of playing in the Champions League again next year hoping for an improved show.

This year Dynamos got a subsidy from Mbada Diamonds while BancABC also chipped in but the team failed to beat the challenge of Tunisian side Club Athletic Birzetin in the first round.

Mubaiwa said they were aware that their participation in the Champions League will drain their coffers and insisted they have discussed their position with the players and the technical team and they were hoping for maximum co-operation.

“They must be happy because it’s also good for them to get exposure playing in the Champions League. We had a meeting with the players.

They all know what is going on. So I think it is taken care of,” said Mubaiwa.

“No one is pushing us to join the Champions League. We decided to join because we know we can make it. Maybe, I can refer you back to 2010 when we played in the Champions League.

“There was no money but we fulfilled all the fixtures. So I hope the same will happen and even do better than 2010.”

Dynamos had their sponsors BancABC to thank after the financial institution carried most of the weight in the club’s financial needs under a three year deal that expires this year.

BancABC splashed around US$884 000 into Dynamos this year alone, with a further US$50 000 expected to be spent by the bank to cover its commitments at the club until the end of the year.

“I would like to thank BancABC for the support they have given us in the last three years. We are also not blaming them for not sponsoring us in the Champions League.

“Maybe the economic situation is not good as you can see. So they are not able to sponsor us this time but you never know tomorrow they might come back and sponsor us again. We still respect them,” said Mubaiwa.