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Lloyd Mutasa

Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
LLOYD Mutasa says he will make it his priority on his return to Dynamos to spearhead junior development as the long-term antidote that will see the Glamour Boys turn back the hands of time and start winning trophies again.

Mutasa began his duties at the Harare giants on Tuesday after he was cleared by his previous employers at the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services ahead of the end of his tenure in the civil service at the end of next month.

The former midfielder returns to Dynamos as assistant to Portuguese coach Paulo Jorge Silva, five years after he severed ties with the Glamour Boys.

Many had credited him with building the foundation for the success the club enjoyed between 2011 and 2014 by winning the championship four seasons in succession under Callisto Pasuwa before they ceded the throne to Chicken Inn last year.

In fact, DeMbare finished the 2015 season empty-handed much to the disappointment of the team’s leadership and supporters, leading to the sacking of coach Tonderai Ndiraya. However, Mutasa yesterday said the popular Harare side needs to strengthen its grassroots to bring back the culture of winning.

“The team has its own vision and obviously I have been employed to contribute to that. As you know, Dynamos are a football powerhouse in Southern Africa but that has not been reflective enough and as part of the efforts to reclaim our glory, I believe we need to have a strong junior policy.

“We have to give more priority to the development structures because if you are to count the stars that made Dynamos what it is today they all come from the juniors. During our era you could talk of people like Memory Mucherahowa, Clayton Munemo, Desmond Maringwa, Murape Murape, Leo Kurauzvione and so on; they all came from the (junior) ranks.

“We need that as well and it’s something we have to look at in order to turn the fortunes of the team going forward. We have to produce our own players and not (to) rely overly on buying on the market.

“I mean we should have our own youngsters graduating from the ranks every year and if we feel they are not ripe enough for the demands of first team football we can always loan them to other clubs where they get game time,” said Mutasa. The DeMbare conveyor belt has almost run dry in recent years but the Glamour Boys can boast of goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva, Carlos Rusere and Farai Mupasiri among their products who have been seeing first team football of late while defender Nigel Gandari, Abel Gwatidzo and Tichaona Mabvura have at best been fringe players in the current squad.

DeMbare have lately been scrambling for players on the market and because of their financial position, they kept losing the battle for signatures to some financially stable clubs like Harare City, FC Platinum and How Mine.

This year they have so far signed four players, among them former CAPS United midfielder Dominic Mukandi, Tichaona Chipunza from Triangle, Valentine Ndaba and goalkeeper Ashley Reyners to replace Artwell Mukandi, who refused to renew his contract.

DeMbare also lost one of their junior products, Blessing Moyo, and exciting midfielder Ronald Chitiyo to Harare City.

However, Mutasa said they are looking to build from the resources at their disposal. He said the Glamour Boys have the capacity to challenge for the league title this year.

“Dynamos won the championship four years in a row and probably complacency was beginning to creep in unbeknown to them. But by coming second it means they were not very far from the championship. So what is needed probably is to put in that extra effort.

“The coming in of Silva should help because if you look at his CV, the clubs that he has coached and by having a conversation with him you can easily see that he is someone who is very professional,” said Mutasa.

“I look forward to good working relations with him. It’s an honour for me to be called back to Dynamos in whatever capacity. I hope the supporters will rally behind the team like they have always done. We all know the culture of the team and the demands. So we have to brace ourselves for the challenges, Dynamos is about winning (titles),” said Mutasa.

Mutasa and goalkeepers coach Gift “Umbro” Muzadzi are continuing with the pre-season training of the team while the club is waiting for the issuing of head coach Silva’s work permit.