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Tadious Manyepo 

Sports Reporter

DYNAMOS Juniors coach Lloyd “Mablanyo” Chigowe has resigned just as the net was closing on him due to his complicity in the age-cheating saga involving the Glamour Boys Under-17 team. 

Chigowe and his teenage charges were left with an egg in the face after they were disqualified from the Marvelous Nakamba Foundation Invitational Under-17 tournament in Bulawayo on age-cheating allegations last month. 

DeMbare, who were one of the clubs invited for the Warriors and Aston Villa midfielder’s junior development contest, were red-flagged after fielding at least two over-aged players. 

Winger Dylan Gumbe and Vusimusi Ngwenya’s ages were questioned and after unsatisfactory explanations, the organisers booted the Glamour Boys out of the competition. 

Gumbe, according to organisers of the inaugural annual tournament, used doctored birth documents which indicated that he was born in 2005. 

However, it was discovered that the player is actually 22-years-old while Ngwenya is said to be 20. 

Interestingly, the Harare giants were the most impressive team on show at the tournament which had eight teams grouped into two pools of four each. 

Dynamos were in Group A together with eventual winners Manicaland Juniors Soccer Academy (MAJESA), Highlanders and Njube Sundowns. 

They beat both MAJESA and Njube Sundowns 3-0 and 3-1 respectively before defeating Bosso 1-0 to top the group with Highlanders coming out second and MAJESA third. 

The Glamour Boys were, especially criticised after it was discovered Gumbe was once at the centre of age controversy that resulted in Zimbabwe being booted out of the COSAFA Under-17 tournament three years ago. 

That forced the Dynamos leadership to open an inquiry to establish the circumstances surrounding the issue. 

And after some delays the investigating team, led by one of the most prominent former PSL club owners, has since presented the findings. 

Although the Dynamos executive was unavailable for comment yesterday, a source told The Herald that checks were done with Gumbe and found that he is indeed over the age of 17. 

And the executive had recommended that Chigowe be relieved of his duties. 

“The findings are finally out. This age-cheating thing involved a lot of people but was orchestrated by Chigowe. So the executive had decided to fire him,” said the source. 

“However, Chigowe got wind of the pending action and acted faster than the team. He tendered his resignation last weekend but still the team can take some action.”

Chigowe confirmed that he had resigned from the club but gave a different reason for the move. 

“Yes, I resigned from Dynamos last week. I am now the chairman for Zimbabwe junior football Harare Province and also the national acting chairman. So I thought it was for the good of my standing to resign from being a coach.”