Dynamos F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Dynamos


fullname = Dynamos Football Club
nickname = DeMbare, Glamour Boys, 7 Million
founded = 1963
ground = Rufaro Stadium
Harare, Zimbabwe
capacity = 45,000
rivalry = Caps United, Highlanders
chairman = George Shaya
manager = David Mandigora
league = ZPSL
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Dynamos Football Club is a Zimbabwean football club based in Mbare, Harare, founded in 1963 by Sam Dauya. cite news |first=Grace |last=Chingoma |title=Zimbabwe: Dynamos Founding Father Dauya Dies |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200805140460.html |work= The Herald (Zimbabwe) |publisher=AllAfrica.com |date=2008-05-14 |accessdate=2008-05-23] The team currently plays in the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League and has reached the semi-final of the 2008 CAF Champions League.cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2008/sep/26/africanchampionsleague|title=Zimbabwe's Dynamos could be football's biggest winners this season|first=Paul|last=Doyle|date=2008-09-26|publisher="The guardian"|accessdate=2008-09-29] Known as DeMbare or The Glamour Boys, Dynamos are Zimbabwe's most popular club.

History

Dynamos F.C. founder Sam Dauya initially wanted to found his own football club for the black population of Rhodesia in the early 1960s, after a Rhodesian club was established exlusively for white players in 1962. Dauya approached several players from two defunct black Zimbabwean football teams, Salisbury City and Salisbury United, about starting a new team. Dynamos F.C. was officially founded in 1963. Dauya personally drafted the club's first constitution and designed the teams first logo.

Dynamos Football Club's highest achievement is reaching the final of the 1998 African Champions League, where they lost to ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast by a score of 4-2.

The team is arguably the most popular team in Zimbabwe with 'over 7 million followers'.(The phrase 7 million supporters was coined by stauch supporters around 1982 when the population of the country stood at a staggering 8 million) Dynamos started rebuilding their club after in-house problems rocked them following their CAF success in 1998. Currently they are the defending champions in the domestic premier soccer league and they are contesting in the CAF Champions League. In May 2008, they beat defending African Champions Etoile du Sahel 1-0 in Tunisia to qualify for the lucrative mini league phase of the Champions League. Dynamos also beat the North African giants by the same margin in the first leg played in Harare.

Dynamos has been the most successful team in Zimbabwe and has brought up some of the best talents to grace the game in Zimbabwe; Moses Chunga is considered by many to be the nation's greatest player of the modern age, whilst George Shaya was the best of the pre-Independence Rhodesia. Elvis "Chuchu" Chiweshe (Eagles (Mazhiya) product) also remains as one of Zimbabwe's greatest ever dead ball specialists.

Due to its large support base, the club has had board problems which have in the past cost the team valuable players to rival clubs. Despite constant player unrest, Dynamos have recently risen above adversity and achieved the double, first winning the CBZ FA Cup and (with two games to spare) the CBZ Premier Soccer League, both wins over traditional rivals Highlanders FC(muzhanje).

Also nicknamed 'DeMbare' after the location of their home ground in Harare's Mbare township, the 'Glamour Boys' are geared once again for a run in Africa following their recent success.

They have managed to dump big names on their way to the semi final of the MTN African Champions League 2008. After uncertainity in fulfilling some matches in the knockout round, they ended up in the same group with Egyptian 'giants" Al Alhy, and Zamalek, and Ivorian team Asec Mimosa (who beat them 4 -2 in the 1998 finals of the same tournament. After a thrilling match at Rufaro Stadium, where they convinced everyone and even suprised their opponenets by beatin Zamalek,with the provebial sucker puncher, a thrilling booted free kick which found its way into Zamalek's net in the 90th minute from young substitute David Shoko ( the first shot to deceive Zamaleks entertaining, and talented young goalkeper), they booked a place in the semis of the tournament where they will meeet Cameronian outfit Cottonsport FC.

Soccer pundits and fans alike take turns to deliver jabs at Dynamos mentor Mandigora for a lack of tactical awareness. This seems to be Dynamos's nemesis. However almost all supporters believe that Dynamos will lift the MTN trophy this year.

Honours and acheivements

Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League
*Winners - 1963, 1965, 1966, 1970, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2007Zimbabwean Cup
*Winners - 1985, 1988, 1989, 1996, 2007Zimbabwean Independence Trophy
*Winners - 1983, 1990, 1995, 1998, 2004 Zimbabwean Charity Shield
*Winners - 2002OK Woza Bhora
*Winners - 2004CAF Champions League
*Runners-up - 1998

African Cup of Champions Clubs
*Quarter-finals - 1981, 1984, 1987

CAF Confederation Cup
*First Round - 2004

CAF Cup Winners' Cup
*Quarter-finals - 1991

Players

Current squad

Fs start

Notable former players

*flagicon|BRA Marcos

*flagicon|ZIM Sunday "Mhofu" Chidzambwa
*flagicon|ZIM Simon Chuma
*flagicon|ZIM Tichaona Diya
*flagicon|ZIM Tafadza Dube
*flagicon|ZIM Daniel Million
*flagicon|ZIM Memory Mucherahowa
*flagicon|ZIM Sam Mutenheri
*flagicon|ZIM Augustine Marume
*flagicon|ZIM Vitalis "Digital" Takawira
*flagicon|ZIM Leonard Tsipa
*flagicon|ZIM Claudius Zviripayi
*flagicon|ZIM Tauya Murehwa

taff

Current staff

*Chairman - flagicon|ZIM Richard Chiminya
*Manager - flagicon|ZIM David Mandigora

Former managers

*flagicon|ZIM Luke Masomere
*flagicon|ZIM Keegan Mumba
*flagicon|ZIM Moses "Bambo" Chunga
*flagicon|ZIM Sunday "Mhofu" (Marimo) Chidzambwa
*flagicon|NED Clemens Westerhof
*flagicon|ZIM Peter Fanuel
*flagicon|GER Reinhard Fabisch

ee also

*Dynamo (disambiguation)

External links

[http://www.dynamosfc.co.zw Official website]

References