Harare — IT might have taken nine years - as many changes in their technical department as they had in their administrative arm - but on Sunday Dynamos finally returned to the African Champions League.

It might have taken 108 months -- as many heartbreaks among their fans as they had revolts within their camp -- but on Sunday, DeMbare finally returned to the table where clubs dine with the aristocrats of African football.

It might have taken about 450 weeks -- as many failed attempts as the nightmarish adventures that came along the way -- but on Sunday, DeMbabwe finally returned to the one competition that represents excellence in African club football.

In the beginning in 1981, the Dynamos African safari began with a trip to Lesotho for a date against Linare which the Harare giants comprehensively won 6-2 on aggregate to announce, in style, their arrival on the big stage.

At the end of their lengthy exile from the Champions League, DeMbare went on a trip to a country close to Lesotho -- Swaziland -- and duly won their assignment on Sunday with a 1-0 victory in the first leg of this preliminary round tie.

The last time they played in this competition was in 1999 when they qualified for the mini-league phase but found an immovable object in Tunisian giants Esperance, were beaten by little St Louisseine of the Reunion islands and -- with turmoil in their camp -- lost their coach Sunday Chidzambwa midway through the campaign.

They restored some of their battered pride by slamming seven goals past St Louisseine at the National Sports Stadium but that memorable attacking display came in a dead rubber and DeMbare could not make it into the semi-finals.

A year earlier Dynamos had powered into the final of the same competition but a 2-4 defeat in the second leg of that final in Abidjan destroyed the DeMbare dreams.

It was a fairy-tale campaign that gripped the attention of a nation short of sporting heroes in general and football ambassadors in particular.

Having watched our dear Warriors come terribly short on the continent for 18 years, we were all happy to finally see the boys from our neighbourhood scale such lofty heights and come so close to being crowned the champions of Africa.

It was like watching Pretty Woman -- the Cinderella Story of a prostitute who finally meets a man who changes her evil ways and makes her realise not only her potential but a proper way to lead her life.

It was like watching good old Baba Rwizi in the Mhuri YaVaMukadota television series -- an unfolding story of a good ordinary guy finding success and peace of mind through genuine hard work.

It all felt so good it was like living in the age of innocence -- where good genuine guys always come first, where you get due reward for the sweat that you put into the battle and where Fair Play does not only exist in name alone as we have in this global football world.

Sometimes it was difficult to believe this was all true -- that victory over Eagles Cement in Nigeria, that spirited fight in forcing a draw in Accra against Hearts of Oak and that impressive show against Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia.

A huge banner -- flying from a Mazda 626 that was leaving the National Sports Stadium on the night that Dynamos booked their place in the final against Hearts of Oak -- captured the disbelief among the football fans in this country.

"My God. If This Is All A Dream, Please Don't Wake Me Up Again!"

But this was not a dream.

This was real stuff. Dinamo DeMbare were just 180 minutes from conquering African club football and the nation was engrossed in delirium.

After years of heartbreak, our football was finally showing signs of coming of age -- Dynamos were in the Champions League final and, in just two years time, the Nations Cup finals bandwagon was coming home to Zimbabwe.

Even in defeat -- after DeMbare lost that final 2-4 at the hands of Asec -- the Dynamos players were hailed as heroes and, maybe the following year or the year after, with a little bit of experience, the Harare giants would know the tricks needed to clear such final hurdles.

Or so we thought.

Ten years after the fairy-tale that ended in shattered dreams in Abidjan, Dynamos are back in the Champions League this year and have already put one foot into the first round of the competition with their 1-0 win over Royal Leopards of Swaziland.

For the DeMbare fans -- some of whom made the long trip from Harare to Manzini --this is a return to the big time and the beginning of great things.

Should their team beat Royal Leopards, a possible assignment in Mozambique beckons in the first round proper and -- for many of them -- it will bring back a flood of great memories when DeMbare turned a vintage show in Maputo to beat Ferroviario and book a place in the mini-league 10 years ago.

Now that DeMbare are back in the Champions League -- after a nine-year absence -- is this a defining moment that should be cherished by our football in general and the Dynamos fans in particular?

Now that Dynamos are back in the Champions League -- after such a lengthy absence -- is this a milestone development that we should celebrate?

Is DeMbare's return to the Champions League after a nine-year absence something that should be hailed as a landmark development for our football?

Is it worth the euphoria that it has created among the fans, administrators, players, officials and football writers in this country?

What are the bitter lessons that emerged from the last time that the Harare giants danced with the elite clubs on the continent and came within just 90 minutes of winning the crown?

What was the value to the Dynamos brand that was added by the team's dance with the aristocrats of continental club football 10 years ago that almost culminated in Glory, Glory, Glory DeMbare?

What have Dynamos lost -- both as a football club and a commercial brand -- in the nine years that they have been in the continental wilderness?

What we can't dispute is that Dynamos -- just like Highlanders and CAPS United -- has a responsibility to win trophies and league championships for the sake of the millions of people who support them.

So to these millions of fans, the team's return to the Champions League -- via success in the league championship last year -- is a significant event that should be celebrated.

It brings back a flood of great memories -- Claudius Zviripayi heading home that priceless winning goal at the Machava Stadium in Maputo 10 years ago to inspire Dynamos into the money-spinning mini-league phase.

The late George Mandizvidza (may his soul rest in eternal peace) producing a five-star show in goals that afternoon -- including an incredible save midway in the second half in which he seemingly twisted his frame in mid-air and appeared to change direction as he pushed a header over the bar.

The astonishing claims by the Mozambican fans, struggling to convince their senses that what their eyes had just seen was real, that Mandizvidza's supershow was being inspired by juju leading to his spare gloves being stolen by a hooligan.

Lloyd Mutasa's outstanding midfield show in the away victory over Nigerian champions Eagles Cement, Memory Mucherahowa leading from the middle as a driving force in the game against Hearts of Oak in Accra, Makwinji Soma-Phiri supplying the goals with his trademark headers and George Owusu providing the flair in a supporting role upfront.

Tonderai "Tkzee' Mtambikwa, Harlington Shereni, Chamu Musanhu, Ernest Masango, Gift Muzadzi, Ernest Chirambadare, Vint Fulawo, Tichaona Murewa, Desmond Maringwa, Masimba Dinyero -- everyone a hero of that campaign.

It's about remembering the days and nights when the National Sports Stadium used to be filled to capacity by delirious DeMbare fans -- black and whites in harmony -- as they cheered their team on its fairy-tale journey.

It's about remembering a team clearly average yet so special and so strong it defied all the odds and became the first local side to reach the final of the Champions League roadshow.

It's about wondering what might have been had Mucherahowa not been headbutted, during the warm-up just before the decisive second leg, collapsing and then being ferried to hospital where X-Ray examinations showed a broken skull.

What if Memory had played in that match in Abidjan? What if Chirambadare had not been injured in the first half of that game? What if George Owusu had not missed those two gilt-edged chances when the scoreline was still goalless?

For us the critics it's a different story.

It's a reminder of a journey that nearly took Dynamos to the Promised Land but -- in the aftermath of that glorious failure -- it became the beginning of the end of the good times for the country's biggest football club.

It was supposed to be the crowning moment that would change this club's fortunes -- giving it the continental presence that they had sought since 1981, giving them the financial muscle that came with such a continental brand and giving them the magnetism to attract some of the best players in Africa.

Instead it became the catalyst for civil war in the DeMbare boardroom and as the battles raged on among their administrators -- who paid themselves a fortune for the part they played in the campaign -- the chaos filtered down to the players.

It was the moment that was supposed to secure DeMbare's financial security for the good of future generations of this team.

Instead it became the campaign that would ultimately cost the club its property in Waterfalls which had been used as security as the club borrowed funds to finance the safari.

It was supposed to be the moment that would change the profiles of their players and expose them to the super rich and famous clubs dotted around Europe.

Instead it effectively became the dying point for the careers of the majority of their players -- Mucherahowa, Chirambadare, Musanhu, Masango, Fulawo, Mutasa, Mutambikwa and Owusu.

While the stars of the Asec Mimosas -- Tchiressoa Guel, Florent Baloki, Donald Sier, Dominique Abou, Koffi Konassi and Maxime Gouamene -- went to Europe to further their careers, the DeMbare troops terribly lost their way in the mayhem that followed that '98 campaign.

Only Shereni -- from that entire troop of DeMbabwe heroes -- emerged from that campaign to build a career in Switzerland and France where he is still playing and getting rave reviews for his performances.

It would be another 10 years before Dynamos would be crowned league champions again and it would be another 10 years before DeMbare would produce a Soccer Star of the Year again.

Ten years after coming so close to ruling Africa, it's a shame that the country's biggest football club still does not have its own club house, that its players train on a sub-standard pitch on rented premises at Raylton Sports Club and its own fortunes are probably worse off than in the pre-1998 era.

Ten years after coming so close to becoming the kings of African football, it's a shame that Dynamos have no place that they call home, their offices are a rented house in Eastlea and have neither any movable or immovable property to write about.

Ten years after coming so close to turning into the kings of African football, it's a pity that where they used to have land in Waterfalls in the period before their Champions League success, the country's biggest football club now does not have a place that it can call home.

Somewhere along the line, something went terribly wrong.

Maybe it was the lack of vision on the part of those who were tasked with administering this team, maybe it was a paralysis of ideas on the part of the founding fathers who paid themselves a fortune, maybe it had something to do with the players who demanded to be paid a fortune or maybe it had something to do with fate.

Whatever it is something went terribly wrong.

But that is all now part of a past.

What matters now is not what happened -- or what didn't happen -- but the lessons that have been learnt along the way and how they can help Dynamos to finally realise its potential both as a special marketing brand and a very popular football team.

A guy called Partson

The appointment of a young chairman -- Partson Moyo -- and a young treasurer -- chartered accountant Clayton Charandura -- into the executive is a positive development that should take this club a step in the right direction.

I've worked with Moyo since his days in the Warriors' Fund-Raising Committee for the 2006 Nations Cup finals and I have found him to be a hardworking, honest and visionary fellow.

Moyo's other big advantage is that he genuinely believes in Dynamos -- a lifelong fan of the club who has been a faithful supporter, in good and bad times, and one who understands the dynamics that come with his tricky job.

On Thursday we invited him to our offices for a chat on his new job and, as he was about to leave, he showed me his car -- a silver Mercedes Benz E320 sport model.

The reason he was showing us the car, he said, was for us to understand that he bought his vehicle long before he became Dynamos chairman so that we will understand when rumours start flying -- as they will always do -- that he was abusing the team's funds for his own benefit.

It's a difficult time to become DeMbare chairman -- especially replacing a legend who finally won the league championship after 10 years and who leaves a team that appears to have grown stronger with the new acquisitions.

But someone has to do it and Moyo says that he is ready for the challenge.

Good luck Partson!

Congratulations to David Mandigora and Methembe Ndlovu for leading Dynamos and Highlanders to victories in the Champions League and Confederation Cup assignments on Sunday.

For the sake of our pride as a nation, it's key that DeMbare and Bosso do very well on the continent and they both need our support as they battle to keep our flag flying high.

For Mandigora this is going to be a tougher year -- especially now that the fans' expectations have been boosted by the success achieved last season and the arrival of some exciting newboys.

Winning the club's first championship in 10 years might have been tough but Yogi will realise soon that defending that crown will be even tougher this season.

But Yogi is a nice guy and, unlike last season, his relationship with the Dynamos fans is sound and there is now mutual respect between the two parties -- something that is key in the battle for success.

Methembe was supposed to be fired -- that is if you believe some sections of the media opposed to his tenure as Bosso coach -- but some people with sober minds realised that emotions won't take them anywhere and rightly stuck with the devil they know.

You can't fault a coach when a club like Bosso loses such talent like Honour Gombami, Vusa Nyoni and now Obadiah Tarumbwa and then struggles to fill the voids they left with competent replacements.

How do you fault him now that he leads a team that has to play eight games in the opposition cauldron of Harare while their biggest rivals DeMbare will only play two league games in the opposition cauldron of Bulawayo?

It will be worse this season with two more Harare teams in the Premiership -- thanks of course to that creature called Eastern Region which is giving the teams from the capital undue advantage.

Last season DeMbare played 22 league games in Harare (effectively at home) and two in Bulawayo while Bosso, in contrast, played 15 games in Bulawayo, eight in Harare and seven elsewhere.

All these things should be considered before Methembe's critics decide that he is the villain that is leading Bosso into the wilderness.

Champion of Champions

Tomorrow DeMbare and Bosso will battle in the Nestle Champion of Champions Trophy final at Gwanzura and, hopefully, this will not be a big yawn like the first leg at Barbourfields.

With the two giants having played a couple of games now, including their continental assignments, maybe they are in the groove to give us a better show tomorrow.

Lazarus Muhoni will certainly receive a standing ovation from his new fans at DeMbare and Mtshumayeli Moyo's homecoming show is also likely to grab the attention.

But watch out for the talents of Bosso midfielder Stephen Alumenda.

The Leonard Tsipa saga

Powerful forward Leonard Tsipa made his name at CAPS United but -- at 29 and after a stint in the cold climate of England -- he has had a change of heart and wants to end his career at Dynamos.

The problem is that he left CAPS United when his contract had not expired.

Makepekepe are right to ask for compensation because contracted players should not be allowed to treat the clubs that pay their salaries as useless institutions that can be left as and when the players feel so.

At the same time Makepekepe should not ask for outrageous figures but something that tallies with what he used to get as salary and related perks.

But after all has been said and done Tsipa should be given the freedom to play for the club of his choice because football is his only source of livelihood.

Joke of the Week

The big game tomorrow between Bosso and DeMbare reminds me of one incident that happened at Rufaro three years ago.

I was watching the Harare Derby between Dynamos and CAPS United and the game was meandering into a poor goalless affair by the time when a drunk DeMbare fan burst into the VIP Enclosure and took the seat just beside me.

About 70 minutes had been played, with the game goalless, when I found myself next to this drunken fan who must have come straight from a free party at the Natbrew headquarters in Manchester Road.

The only surprise -- given his drunken state -- was that he recognised me.

"Eh, mhoro Sharuko," he said in a voice so hoarse it would have been recorded on the Reitcher Scale.

"What is the score?" he continued.

"Dynamos 0, CAPS United 0," came my reply. "And the two teams have played 70 minutes and there is little to suggest that we will ever get a goal today."

I thought that was it until he bombarded me with his next question.

"Thanks Sharuko. So what was the score at half-time?"