DEMBARE SACK DENVER . . . Midfielder pays price for errant behaviour Denver Mukamba
Denver Mukamba

Denver Mukamba

Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
TALENTED but unruly midfielder Denver Mukamba has finally paid the price for his errant behaviour, with Dynamos striking off the one-time Warriors skipper from their books.

Dynamos coach Lloyd Mutasa and his technical crew that includes assistants Biggie Zuze and Zondai Nyaungwa and team manager Richard Chihoro met with the club management last week to discuss their onslaught on the 2018 Championship race.

After turning a season that seemed doomed into a strong campaign that stretched the title race to the wire, Dynamos believe they can now build on their second-place finish last season.

But as they look to challenging for honours in the coming term, it has emerged that Mutasa and his lieutenants made strong recommendations to the executive that Mukamba be scratched from the club’s books after hogging the limelight more for his indiscipline than on-field contributions last year.

It is understood that Mutasa wants to assemble a side that would be more focused on on-field battles than “unnecessary distractions away from the bid to win titles’’.

And Mukamba, alongside central defender Lincoln Zvasiya who had already been axed, were singled out as “some bad apples” that had to be axed.

Despite often struggling for players at the start of the season, Dynamos are understood to have been buoyed by the impending mega deal with mobile network service provider NetOne, which they feel could help them secure adequate replacements for players like Mukamba.

Dynamos secretary-general Webster Marechera was yesterday reluctant to discuss the outcome of the meeting they had with the coaches and a subsequent management indaba where Mukamba’s fate was sealed.

But sources told The Herald that the technical team recommended that the lanky midfielder and a host of other players be shown the exit. Players that have been given the boot include Takunda Sadiki, Carlos Rusere, Musa Madhiri, King Nasama and goalkeeper Ashley Reyners.

“The technical team is positive Dynamos will be competitive this year. They are probably buoyed by their performance in the 2017 season. The aim is to improve and probably challenge for the title.

“Mutasa has indicated which players he wants to keep and which ones should go. Denver is definitely not in the coach’s plans this year.

“He will be asked to go and look for a new club to play for elsewhere together with the other players that the coach feels have not been giving full value. The aim is to make the team stronger and more competitive,” said the source.

Mukamba signed a two-year contract with Dynamos in July last year after the Glamour Boys had given him a lifeline on his return from South Africa in 2016.

The 25-year-old midfielder had also endured a poor spell in South Africa where he failed to shine at Bidvest Wits despite the hype that had characterised his arrival at the Johannesburg club.

But after appearing to be playing a key role in helping in the rebuilding exercise that was taking place at DeMbare, Mukamba terribly lost his way when it mattered most in the second half of the season. Instead of driving the youthful side, Mukamba kept being at odds with the technical department because of disciplinary problems.

The former Kiglon man had been living on borrowed time after he was pardoned late last year after he and Zvasiya were hauled before the club’s disciplinary committee facing charges of destabilising the team. Dynamos brought up the disciplinary charges after the pair had gone AWOL ahead of a crucial Premiership game against Ngezi Platinum which DeMbare lost.

The defeat was a huge blow to their title campaign as it came with only three games remaining in the season.

Mukamba was then given a second chance as Zvasiya was sacrificed, but the midfielder reportedly had not shown signs of repenting.

That kind of behaviour riled Mutasa further and as they reviewed the 2017 season, the lanky coach felt he had had enough of Mukamba.

There was no such disciplinary problems however, for Nasama, Madhiri and Rusere who spent much of the season on the sidelines as they have largely been forced out because of injuries.

Goalkeeper Reyners, who joined Dynamos from Triangle two years ago had reportedly also lost his way and was relegated further down the pecking order with the coming in of Blessing Mwandimutsira last year.

Dynamos are set to get their pre-season programme in motion next Monday with a week-long fitness programme at the gym.

Mutasa will then conduct trials for prospective players the following week but unlike last year, the trials stint is only reserved for a few selected newcomers. “The players should report for duty on January 15. But that week will be specialising on gym work. Then the gates will open for trials the following week because we want to give potential candidates the platform,” Chihoro said.

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