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Tadious Manyepo

Sports Reporter

PREMIERSHIP football giants Dynamos continue to make a loud statement of intent after they completed the signing of two Ghanaian strikers and a Nigerian yesterday.

The Glamour Boys have been active in the transfer market this period as they seek to regain their lost gloss.

They have also taken aboard Ralph Kawondera, Brendon Mpofu and Evans Katema while they are understood to be pursuing more players.

And yesterday, DeMbare took aboard Emmanuel Paga and Martin Ofori, both from Ghana, and Nigerian, Alext Orotomal.

They already have two West African players in their fold in the mould of Sylvester Appiah of Ghana and Cameroonian Albert Eonde.

Coach Tonderai Ndiraya has expressed optimism the trio will be key to Dynamos’ revival this season.

The glamour club is not done as yet though.

The club has released Ali Maliselo, who has joined Herentals, Takunda Mawarire and Juan Mutudza.

Although the team has been active in the transfer market, signing Ralph Kawondera, Evans Katema and Brendon Mpofu, there has been a barrage of attacks from several quarters, accusing the Glamour Boys of merely recycling players.

Kawondera spent the last one-and-a-half-years at FC Platinum where he has struggled for game-time.

He was a revelation at Triangle and was even voted the Soccer Star of the Year runner-up in 2019 after shining for the Lowveld club.

But once he arrived at FC Platinum, he couldn’t command a first-team jersey and had literally been forgotten when he finally popped up in the Chibuku Super Cup final against Ngezi Platinum last month.

On the other hand, Katema, who spent four months at the Glamour Boys in the 2019 season, has not been re-engaged by Zambian club Zanaco.

The 35-year-old striker was signed by Dynamos from Mushowani Stars half-way into the 2019 season.

Katema scored seven times for Ndiraya’s charges before he was snatched by Zanaco. But he couldn’t really shine in Lusaka.

And analysts have questioned inclusion of the duo in the Dynamos’ transfer buzz. For a team with a US$60 000 transfer war chest, courtesy of principal sponsors Sakunda Holdings, to be inking deals with recycled players is not the most ideal thing, analysts say.

But Ndiraya said the move was motivated by the need to add more experience to his team.

“Look, we are trying to be as competitive as we can as a team. We need to have the right players and this is what we are trying to do.

“Despite their ages, I am confident Ralph Kawondera and Evans Katema still have something very valuable in their tanks,” said Ndiraya.

“These are the players who have seen it all in the top league and Katema also has external experience. This will help us as a team in the long run.

“The two will certainly give us something big given their capabilities and experience.

“We will fuse them with the rest of the players we already have and the result will be good, I believe.

“You look at a player like Kawondera and ask yourself is he good enough, the answer is a big yes. He is fit and has the right technique to help our cause.

“You also look at Katema, you look around and realise there have not been many goals we have scored as a team but Katema can bring us those goals. So I am very confident these two will bring something solid for us. I am sure they will prove to be valuable additions.”

Ndiraya said the team is not yet done in the transfer market. The Glamour Boys have also been linked with former FC Platinum midfielder, Last Jesi. Ghanaian Martin Ofori and Junior Makunike, who is the son of the late CAPS United legend, Blessing “Yogo-yogo” Makunike, are among the players trying their luck at DeMbare.

The Dynamos executive is also reported to be working tirelessly on renewing the contracts of Godknows Murwira and Taimon Mvula; and they are on the verge of signing Emmanuel Parker from Nigeria.

“We have identified several players locally and abroad. We are now in talks with some of those we think can come and join us. We will be making those signings in the coming weeks.

“We need to be competitive again as a team and make our fans happy.”

Dynamos reached the semi-finals of the Chibuku Super Cup last year and were beaten by eventual winners FC Platinum 1-0 in extra-time.

Along with Highlanders, who are also being bankrolled by Sakunda Holdings, Dynamos know they will get a huge windfall should they win the league title in the current season which resumes on February 12.