Zimbabwe: Fans Salute Dembare

Source from:  The Herald (Harare) 17 December 2007 12/18/2007

CHAMPIONS Dynamos yesterday put the icing on a glorious season to savour when they went on a victory parade, meeting and mingling with their supporters in some of Harare's suburbs. In a rare development for the Harare giants, Dynamos players, coaches and officials drove in different cars and a bus provided by the club's sponsors, Savannah Tobacco. The colourful ceremony began outside the ceremonial home of football -- Rufaro Stadium -- the scene of some of Dynamos' finest moments where David Mandigora's men laid the foundation for their league and cup success before the venue was closed for a major facelift in September. Rarely have Dynamos players found an opportunity to mingle and meet with their supporters, what with the Harare giants having gone for 10 years without winning the ultimate prize in domestic football. But yesterday, they found that opportunity and even ardent Dynamos fan and Minister of State for Policy Implementation Webster Shamu could not resist but join in the fun. From Rufaro, the victory parade -- which began in the afternoon and was still on its way to popular entertainment joint Pamuzinda Highway X-cape along the Bulawayo Road -- stopped at Stodart Hall in Mbare and proceeded to Sunnigdale shops before heading for Chikwanha, Makoni, Zengeza 4 and Zengeza 2 in Chitungwiza. Business briefly came to a standstill at every place the parade stopped, including Machipisa in Highfield, Glen Norah, Makomva shops in Glen View, Mufakose and Warren Park D's popular braaing joint Mereki. Fans could be seen jostling to have a chance to shake the players or even have just a closer glimpse of their heroes. The club's leading scorer and newly-crowned CBZ Premier League Soccer Star of the Year Murape Murape was in the car that led the procession and had the CBZ FA Cup and the championship trophy. Dynamos, who also had skipper Justice Majabvi voted as second runner-up to the Soccer Star of the Year, also paraded the Mayor's Challenge Trophy they won after beating bitter city rivals CAPS United. DeMbare also have speedy winger and club vice-captain Edward Sadomba and reliable goalkeeper Willard Manyatera among the 11 Soccer Stars who were honoured on Friday night. Manyatera, voted Dynamos Footballer of the Year, and Sadomba, who won the CBZ FA Cup Golden Boot, were also part of the Harare giants' team that was on show on their meet-the-people tour yesterday. In their only blemish for what was really a colourful afternoon, the organisers of the parade had bundled the players into a bus instead of open trucks, a move that made it difficult for some of the supporters in areas like Mbare and Sunningdale to have a closer look at their heroes. But that could not dampen the spirits of both the players and the fans nor that between the fans and coach Mandigora with whom they had a love-hate relationship before the unassuming mentor guided DeMbare to a rare league and cup double. Mandigora, who on Friday was crowned the CBZ Premiership Coach of the Year at an awards ceremony, described their victory parade as a great exercise and paid tribute to the DeMbare supporters for lining up the streets of their suburbs to salute his troops. "This is great. . . it is a very good exercise. The response from the supporters has been great and the players are feeling very happy. We do not always get a chance to meet with our supporters because we would be busy with matches and it's time for everyone to enjoy," Mandigora said. Mandigora said although Dynamos were basking in the glory of their success and reflecting on a season in which they reasserted themselves as a dominant force in the domestic game, they would not lose focus of their African Champions League assignment that is beckoning. "While we are enjoying ourselves, we will have to forget about the joy and get down to business soon. Because of what we have achieved, every team will be more inspired to try and beat us and we also have to prepare for the Champions League". Mandigora said he had given his charges a month to rest from their gruelling season before they embark on preparations for their African Champions League preliminary round tie against Royal Leopards of Swaziland over February 15-17. "We will start our preparations for the Champions League and the 2008 season on January 7. We felt we just needed to give the players a full month to rest because it has been a tough season for everybody," Mandigora said. But it is yesterday's parade which skipper Majabvi and defender Lovemore Mapuya reckoned would always be special in the players' memories. Majabvi said the parade had helped them appreciate the value the supporters placed in their on-field performances. "The players are so happy it is just unbelievable. We have been treated like heroes everywhere we have gone today. I must thank our supporters for this," Majabvi said. Mapuya, who had a decent season at right-back, felt the reception they had received from the fans across the capital would motivate the players ahead of their Champions League campaign. "It has been a great day and I think this should motivate us to even do better next year in the Champions League and in defending our CBZ titles. "We have to be champions again in order to enjoy such a privilege like we have been accorded today," Mapuya said. 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