Dembare splashed US$126,000 on Sangomas without paying players

Zimbabwean football giants Dynamos have been slapped with a FIFA-imposed transfer ban after failing to pay outstanding dues to two Ghanaian players — despite reportedly spending a staggering US$126,000 on sangomas (traditional healers) over the past 32 months.

The Harare-based club, currently languishing in the relegation zone with just one win in 13 games, now faces major embarrassment after the world football governing body confirmed the Glamour Boys were barred from registering players both locally and internationally.

According to FIFA, Dynamos owe former players Emmanuel Paga and Frederick Botchway a combined US$18,500 — US$8,500 and US$10,000 respectively — for unpaid salaries and contractual obligations.

What has sparked outrage, however, is the revelation that during the same period, the club was paying US$1,000 per match to a group of sangomas to perform rituals — totaling US$126,000 across 126 matches from February 2022 to December 2024.

The payments reportedly covered all league, cup, and CAF Confederation Cup matches during Paga's tenure at the club. The rituals, believed to provide spiritual support and influence match outcomes, were often performed in secret, sometimes during the early hours of match days at Rufaro Stadium.

"This is shocking. How does a club justify such an expense on sangomas while neglecting contractual obligations to its players?" said a former Dynamos official, who requested anonymity. "The results clearly don't reflect any supernatural advantage."

Although Dynamos clinched back-to-back Chibuku Super Cup titles during that time, their league performances have remained underwhelming, and they currently sit third from the bottom of the Premier Soccer League table.

Insiders told H-Metro that officials within the club remain convinced of the sangomas' value, arguing that their rituals prevented heavier defeats.

"Some officials claim that if the sangomas were not involved, the losses would have been worse," a source said. "When the team loses 1-0, they say it could have been 4-0 without their help. It's a deeply rooted belief."

During a supporters' media conference held in Harare yesterday, frustrations boiled over, with fans questioning the club's priorities and accusing management of gross financial mismanagement.

"How can a club of Dynamos' stature default on just US$18,500 and get sanctioned, yet blow more than US$100,000 on rituals?" a supporter fumed. "This is the same club that once ruled Zimbabwean football."

The situation mirrors past embarrassments, such as Dynamos' loss in a FIFA dispute to former striker Cuthbert Gwekwerere over unpaid dues. Critics fear more cases could follow involving other former players like Frank Makarati, Urikhob, and Frank Illunga.

"This isn't about lacking funds — it's about misplaced priorities," another source said. "Yadah had to pay around US$90,000 to a player and managed. Dynamos are being sanctioned over a relatively small amount. It's unacceptable."

The FIFA sanction prevents Dynamos from registering any new players until the debts to Paga and Botchway are cleared. With their league form in free fall and morale at an all-time low, the transfer ban only deepens their crisis.

The club has yet to issue an official statement addressing the ban or the sangoma expenditures.

As pressure mounts, fans and former players are calling for an internal audit and urgent reforms to restore credibility and direction at the once-mighty club.

"The bones have spoken," one fan said bitterly. "It's time for accountability — spiritual or not."