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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
TAWANDA MACHEKA says there is no room for patience at Dynamos as the Glamour Boys are always desperate for instant results.

The 23-year-old is one of the many players who showed a lot of promise when he joined Dynamos in 2016, but could not live up to expectations.

A product of the Zimbabwe Universities Sports Association Games, Macheka was identified by former Zimbabwe international Kelvin Mushangazhike during the 2016 semester break while playing in the ZIFA Area zone matches in Glen View.

Having been part of the successive rebuilding projects at DeMbare, first under Lloyd Mutasa, then under Biggie Zuze, Lloyd Chigowe and Tonderai Ndiraya, the pressure — on and off the pitch — made him wonder if he joined the club at the wrong time.

“If you look at that project, there were so many new faces so the team,’’ he said. “But Dynamos is a big club with huge expectations.

“There is no time for you to try and adapt to the system. You need to just come, perform and get results.

“But most of the guys had never played Premiership football before, or for a big club like Dynamos, so they needed time to adjust and to gel but that cannot happen at DeMbare.’’

He was there when the Glamour Boys went through one of their darkest phases under Chigowe, before Ndiraya came to the rescue last year.

The Harare giants have overhauled their team again this year with about 15 new players coming in.

“If you come to Dynamos, they assume that you are ready to play and deliver.

“Dynamos just need someone who is ready, not someone who wants to develop because they always want results,” says Macheka.

Many would remember him best for his cheeky rabona pass during the tense Harare Derby against CAPS United at the National Sports Stadium almost three years ago.

It was a magical moment for the young player, who had come on as a second half substitute against the Green Machine.

DeMbare won 2-0, courtesy of a brace from Cameroonian Christian Epoupa. There were signs the then Midlands State University student could grow into something big for DeMbare but it all boiled down to an anti-climax.

Macheka graduated with an honours degree in Development Studies from MSU last year.

A number of footballers in the past few years have been developing themselves academically to position themselves for opportunities after the end of their football careers.

“I would like to thank Dynamos and, in particular coach Lloyd Mutasa, because he allowed me to pursue my studies while also playing professional football.

“It wasn’t easy because you would go away for a month and when you came back, sometimes you would have lost form but he gave me the opportunity to continue.

“Balancing the two was always demanding. When playing for a team like Dynamos, there’s a lot of pressure and, at the same time, you are young and trying to focus on your studies.

“Remember Dynamos wasn’t in a good space and thinking about it was also stressful.

“But, I just told myself that I was going to do both and I would like to thank God I managed to graduate last year. I did my best to be where I am today.”

At the same time his contract with Dynamos came to an end and he decided to move on to army side Black Rhinos.

“The reason I left Dynamos was because I felt it was time to move on. I really wanted a new challenge,’’ he said.

“It had been three-and-half years at Dynamos and, like I said, I didn’t really manage to reach my best and so I told myself that if I go somewhere, which is not a comfort zone, it would push me an extra mile.

“At Dynamos, I was at home and sometimes when you are home you feel you have arrived. Now, I am at Black Rhinos, naturally I prioritise where my bread is buttered.

“I just pray for an injury free-season. I want to play more and give my best to the new club because the coach trusts me. I don’t want to disappoint him.’’