Dembare boycott call fails?

THE Dynamos leadership have thanked the fans who have been sticking with the club, amid calls from some supporters for a boycott of the team's matches, with the Glamour Boys family reeling from deep divisions.

Dembare has been in turmoil after a poor run in the championship campaign which saw the team fail to win any of their first seven league matches.

That miserable run saw the Glamour Boys slump to bottom of the table a few days ago, but two wins in their last two matches, have seen them creep into 10th place on the table.

Coach Lloyd Mutasa has been sitting on a three-game ultimatum and needs to pass the Harare City test at Rufaro on Sunday before the Dynamos management reviews the coach's future.

The Sunshine Boys have been playing decent football under British coach Mark Harrison.

Dynamos secretary-general Webster Marechera yesterday thanked fans who have been sticking with the club and coming to cheer the team amid calls for a boycott by some of the supporters.

Marechera said it was unfortunate that some members of the Harare chapter of Dynamos supporters had opted to try and involve themselves in the politics that normally characterise the running of the club, especially when results don't come the Glamour Boys' way.

Harare chapter chairman Khain Nyambuya's call for fans to boycott DeMbare home games, in a bid to force the management to address problems bedevilling the club, was largely heeded by many supporters with just a few turning up for the match against Bulawayo City.

"The big problem at Dynamos is poor corporate governance and for them to engage in such arrogance, it means they are still enjoying those gate takings," Nyambuya said.

"So, we are going to boycott home games. But we will follow the team as usual for their away games."

But Marechera attributed the low crowd to some counter attractions on the same weekend they hosted Bulawayo City and insisted that Nyambuya's plot had failed.

"There have been several supporters' committees and branches for Dynamos and as a club we appreciate how they organise themselves to support their favourite team,'' Marechera said.

"But never in the history of the club have we heard genuine supporters urging everyone to boycott the team's homes games and one can see that those urging for a boycott are mercenaries who promise certain individuals that they will cause disturbances at Dynamos and force members of the executive out.

"Such characters should not come anywhere near Dynamos because they are not genuine and they only wait for a bad result to start conspiracy theories and fan problems. Why have they never mobilised financial resources to assist the club if they were so eager to help?"

The Dynamos saluted those who paid to watch Mutasa's men register their first league win in 2018.

"We would like to thank the fans who came to our game against Bulawayo City. We are aware that there were some counter attractions, notably the primary elections (ZANU-PF primaries), and the big Thomas Mapfumo show during the same weekend.

"But we believe that the crowd will be much better against Harare City and we believe that our genuine supporters know their important role to the team and the players know the importance of the supporters and that is why they went around Rufaro to salute and thank them after the game against Bulawayo City,'' Marechera said.

He said Premiership clubs know that the net revenue that many sides take home after a host of deductions was not enough to sustain a championship marathon "and it is therefore a misinformed perception that gate revenue is abused''.

"It must also be understood that the Dynamos ownership structure is very clear and there are no elections for one to be a member of the executive committee, one gets appointed by a board of directors led by Mr Bernard Marriot Lusengo and so supporters cannot force someone into the executive," Marechera said.

While DeMbare are hoping to continue with their resurgence, Harrison is also upbeat that his Sunshine Boys, who halted Triangle's five-match winning streak on Wednesday, will continue with their good form.

Harare City, one of the only five clubs in the Premiership so far this season to have tasted defeat once, had lost their early touch into the marathon since losing 1-3 to champions FC Platinum three weeks ago.

But a Moses Muchenje penalty ensured a 1-0 triumph over Triangle.

"The win against Triangle, coming against a run of poor form in which we had gone for several matches without winning, is actually what we had prayed for before facing Dynamos who are doing well at the moment," said Harrison.

"To have played beautiful football the way we did, against a team which had not lost a single point in five games, is a good sign in terms of progress.

"I have always told the guys to play a good brand of football and it is that brand which can win us matches.

"It is my hope that we will do the same against Dynamos on Sunday. The match against Dynamos will obviously be tough. Dynamos are one of the biggest clubs in the country and the fact that they are doing well says a lot about their ability.

"They have a good team and a good coach. They could have struggled in the early stages of the season, but they have now found their groove. They are a good team with fantastic players.

"But, as much as we respect them for whatever they have done in the past and their current form, we are also eager to maintain the winning momentum when we face them on Sunday."