Ndiraya takes over at Dembare

LLOYD Chigowe said his face was not the most popular in Harare on the eve of Dynamos' third straight league defeat, and a day after that embarassment, he was gone.

The lanky gaffer, nicknamed "MaBlanyo", was sacked yesterday together with his backroom staff of Murape Murape, Expense Chitukutu and Marlon Jani. He will now be replaced by Tonderai Ndiraya who agreed yesterday to return to the club that somehow sacked him despite some promising results.

Ndiraya is currently the Young Warriors' gaffer and was sacked by Ngezi Platinum last season. Team manager, Richard Chihoro, will take charge of training this week, assisted by skipper Edward Sadomba, with Ndiraya set to be named by the end of the week.

Dutchman, Pieter de Jongh, has been linked with the Glamour Boys. Before the axe fell on him, Chigowe confessed on Saturday that he "was not the most popular face in Harare at the moment."

And three days later, he was fired following Dynamos' 1-0 defeat to minnows Herentals at Rufaro on Monday. DeMbare will play newboys, TelOne, this Sunday and Mupfurutsa yesterday told our sister paper, The Herald, that they are looking to unveil a new coach by the end of the week.  

"We are yet to engage someone but we have a number of options we are looking at," said Dynamos chairman, Isaiah Mupfurutsa.

"At the end of the day we would want to settle for someone who is capable of leading a big team like Dynamos and who also has in-depth knowledge of Zimbabwean football. "So, the best candidate will be engaged. We don't want to change coaches for the sake of changing.

"We should be unveiling a new technical team during the course of the week. But, for now, we have made an interim arrangement led by team manager Chihoro and Sadomba."

The Herald was advised by reputable sources yesterday that Ndiraya had agreed to return to DeMbare. However, the problems at Dynamos could be more than what is manifesting at the surface.  

The Glamour Boys have met with the same problems in the last few seasons.  At this same stage last year under Mutasa, the Harare giants had not won a game and had one point from four starts.  Mutasa was eventually sacked after 10 games with a paltry nine points in the bag.  

The club later rehired Mutasa and only to fire him again when the team was reeling in the relegation zone towards the end of the season. Chigowe managed to save the side from sliding further and was rewarded with a three-year contract.  

Dynamos started badly and only scrapped to a 2-0 win over newboys Mushowani in their opening match of the season before succumbing to successive defeats to Hwange, Chicken Inn and Herentals.

They had also lost the Independence Cup final to old foes, Highlanders.

"Things just couldn't work out for them. We gave them time but the pressure was getting too much for them and it was clear they couldn't switch to the next gear," said Mupfurutsa.  

"So we need a new person to take the team forward.  "Dynamos is a pressure-cooker where you have to deliver. They played their part and, unfortunately, football is a performance based-profession and these guys knew what was expected of them."

The club's supporters spoke with one voice that Chigowe, who is widely known to be brilliant with junior development, was finding the job too big for him to handle.  The DeMbare Harare Chapter organising secretary, Patrice Muzvondiwa, said many changes need to be effected, apart from firing the coaches.

He also believes the quality of the players and the management system needed massive improvements to get the club back on track.

"I think this was long overdue. We couldn't wait until the middle of the season because by then we would have fallen behind the competition.  

"Dynamos is a big institution and what supporters want is to see good football and corresponding results.  

"The kind of football we are watching week-in-week-out is not worth the hard-earned money and effort we are pumping into Dynamos.  

"I also believe the management has a big part to play. We want stability. It's unacceptable that we should be rebuilding every season, it's four years now but with nothing to show.  

"Our players are below average; they are not Dynamos material and I am sure it will be difficult for any coach to accept the job considering the calibre of players he will be working with.

"We hope things will change for the best. They have to engage a person like Ndiraya who we all know is available and has the qualities," said Muzvondiwa.