Enock Muchinjo
15 May 2008
STILL sobering up from their shock win over continental heavies Etoile Sportive du Sahel, Zimbabwean champions Dynamos go into the draw of the financially-rewarding league phase of the MTN African Champions League on Sunday.
The draw will be held in Yaounde, Cameroon.
Dembare is in the hat with seven other clubs, of which the Harare-based club is the least-expected to be at this much-desired stage of Africa's top continental club competition.
And yet history is on Dynamos' side, having played in the final exactly a decade ago. They also have a knack of performing beyond expectations when the odds appear stacked against them.
Former attacking midfielder and playmaker Lloyd Mutasa believe his former employers will not be worried who they play in the league stage.
"Who they will be drawn against doesn't really matter," Mutasa said.
"We are talking of the top eight teams on the continent and you can't run away from them once you've reached this stage. To be the champions you must beat the best, and it is not a fluke that Dynamos are there (in the league phase).
"Dynamos won't fear anyone having eliminated the defending champions. Beating the Tunisians also gives them an edge over their league stage opponents, who will approach the matches against them with a lot of respect; being respected by your opponents is advantageous in football."
Mutasa, who said he wasn't surprised by Dynamos' win in Tunisia, also paid tribute to a rather backroom figure, assistant coach David George, who was the assistant coach when Dynamos reached the final in 1998.
"People do not say anything about assistant coaches," he said.
"But I think David's involvement paid dividends. He has been around for a while and understands the Dynamos culture. In my opinion George and Mhofu (Sunday Chidzambwa, technical director) played big roles in helping David Mandigora (head coach). You could see that the players were motivated and wrapped in the Dynamos spirit."
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