HARARE —
Dynamos Football Club says it will not release its players to foreign clubs while participating in the CAF Champions League even if there are huge transfer fees involved.
In the past three years, Dynamos have lost a number of players to South African clubs in the middle of their participation in African football resulting in a poor show by the popular Harare side.
The team that reached the final of the Caf Champions League in 1998 and the semi-finals 10 years later has failed to reach the mini league stage of the competition after losing top players such as Denver Mukamba and Washington Arubi just after winning the Zimbabwean soccer star of the year award.
With news filtering through that a number of South African clubs are interested in three of the team’s players - George Chigova, Partson Jaure, and Tawanda Muparati - who are currently in South Africa with the Zimbabwe national team, club chairman Kenny Mubaiwa says this time they are not letting any of their players go even if the other clubs offer high transfer fee.
Chigova, Jaure, and Muparati are part of the 25 member squad that Dynamos have registered with the Confederation of African football for the Caf Champions League, and Mubaiwa says the players are needed if Dynamos are to make a good run in Africa’s richest club competition.
The Dynamos chairman says they will only release players if they reach the mini league stage of the continental tournament where they are allowed to register five new players.
Team manager Richard Chihoro agrees with Mubaiwa. He adds Dynamos will keep all the players they have registered boasting the team is packed with quality to enable the club to go far in their African safari.
The off-season break has been one of the most fruitful for Dynamos in terms of acquiring new talent.
The Zimbabwe champions will play little Mochudi Centre Chiefs of Botswana in the preliminary round on of the Caf Champions League on February 8 and 16 before bracing themselves for a possible showdown with Nigerian champions Kano Pillars should they go past the small Botswana club.
Dembare also have the daunting task of trying to defend their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title which they have won in the past three years.
In the past three years, Dynamos have lost a number of players to South African clubs in the middle of their participation in African football resulting in a poor show by the popular Harare side.
The team that reached the final of the Caf Champions League in 1998 and the semi-finals 10 years later has failed to reach the mini league stage of the competition after losing top players such as Denver Mukamba and Washington Arubi just after winning the Zimbabwean soccer star of the year award.
With news filtering through that a number of South African clubs are interested in three of the team’s players - George Chigova, Partson Jaure, and Tawanda Muparati - who are currently in South Africa with the Zimbabwe national team, club chairman Kenny Mubaiwa says this time they are not letting any of their players go even if the other clubs offer high transfer fee.
Chigova, Jaure, and Muparati are part of the 25 member squad that Dynamos have registered with the Confederation of African football for the Caf Champions League, and Mubaiwa says the players are needed if Dynamos are to make a good run in Africa’s richest club competition.
The Dynamos chairman says they will only release players if they reach the mini league stage of the continental tournament where they are allowed to register five new players.
Team manager Richard Chihoro agrees with Mubaiwa. He adds Dynamos will keep all the players they have registered boasting the team is packed with quality to enable the club to go far in their African safari.
The off-season break has been one of the most fruitful for Dynamos in terms of acquiring new talent.
The Zimbabwe champions will play little Mochudi Centre Chiefs of Botswana in the preliminary round on of the Caf Champions League on February 8 and 16 before bracing themselves for a possible showdown with Nigerian champions Kano Pillars should they go past the small Botswana club.
Dembare also have the daunting task of trying to defend their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title which they have won in the past three years.