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Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
MIDFIELDER Devon Chafa’s move to How Mine is good as sealed as the former Dynamos player has agreed terms to join the Bulawayo side on a one-year contract. Chafa was cleared by giants Dynamos this week after talks to renew his contract collapsed. How Mine also confirmed they have snatched last season’s Golden Boot winner Charles Sibanda from Highlanders and Soccer Star of the Year runner-up Limited Chikafa after the duo put pen to paper yesterday afternoon.

How Mine vice-chairman Alpha Mutumbura and Chafa’s agent Gibson Mahachi yesterday said Chafa should be heading for Bulawayo this year.

Mahachi said they have been patient with Dynamos, whom they had given preference, but the Harare giants were not forthcoming and looked like they were not prepared to negotiate in good faith.

Mahachi said he only had one meeting with the Glamour Boys’ representatives when he presented his counter-offers after being contacted by the club.

Chafa’s team were frustrated by the silence from Dynamos as there was no other meeting that took place again.

Mahachi said they had to settle for How Mine after getting an offer almost similar to what they had presented to Dynamos.

“We are almost done in our negotiations with How Mine and I would like to clarify that the collapse of the talks between us and Dynamos wasn’t as a result of disagreements over money, no.

“Dynamos made their offer and I talked to the player and his parent club DC Academy and we made a counter-offer. Normally you would expect a club to come back for negotiations because this is more like a bargain. In football if you want a player you have to chase the player.

“Dynamos, however, did never responded to us. The next thing we read in the Press was that they couldn’t afford the player and the figures that were quoted in those stories were not at all nearer to what was on the ground.

“We never asked for US$21 000. Any reasonable person cannot ask for such an amount from Dynamos, taking into consideration the environment they are operating in.

“Instead, we even offered to go down from what we agreed on last year (US$7 000).

“I had to explain it to the player, looking at Dynamos’ financial situation, and he understood.

“So it wasn’t about the money that the talks with Dynamos collapsed. If it was anything to do with money then he could have left two years ago but then Devon had so much love for Dynamos that he offered himself to play.

“He even got some big offers (from FC Platinum) last year but he turned them down, all because he loved to play for Dynamos,” said Mahachi.

The agent said DeMbare simply did not bargain for the player.

“When the club just keeps silent and we start hearing stories in the media, it’s something that speaks volume whether the player is wanted or not.

“Remember these guys are family people as well. The last thing I, as an agent and for him the player, want is to hear is that a club will not sign him at the eleventh hour when the window is about to close.

“So we agreed with Devon to look elsewhere if there was no light at Dynamos and we are happy with the negotiations we have had with How Mine.

“There isn’t much of a difference in terms of figures anyway between what we had hoped to get from Dynamos and what How Mine have offered,” said Mahachi.

The player agent, however, is still negotiating with Dynamos for the extension of the contracts of Russel Madamombe and Simba Sithole.

Chafa joins his former captain Tawanda Muparati who also moved to Chikurupati during the off-season break.

How Mine appear they are aiming for bigger things this season after roping in former CAPS United skipper Tapiwa Khumbuyani, goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya, Benjamin Marere and Leftara Ndale to beef up their squad.

The club’s vice-chairman Matumbura said he was happy with the progress they have made so far in their pre-season build-up.

“Devon’s deal is good as done. He is one of the players that the coach (Luke Masomere) recommended and we have reached advanced stage in the negotiations.

“He should be our player this season if nothing big gets between us and him in the last minute.

“So far so good but we still have one or two positions that we need cover. Our target is to do better than last year when we ended up fighting relegation.

“The last two seasons that we have been in the Premiership we had to survive the chop late and that’s not the best way to do business,” said Matumbura.