HARARE side Dynamos are often referred to as the traditional giants of Zimbabwe football along with Highlanders and CAPS United.
But for the past nine years the Glamour Boys have not done much to deserve the moniker as they have failed to win a single major trophy on the local scene.
In fact the league title which they won in 2014, then a fourth championship on the trot, is the last big trophy that they bagged.
And today they have a big opportunity to end that thirst for major silverware on the local scene when they take on league champions Ngezi Platinum Stars at Baobab.
The Chibuku Super Cup, which returned to the local scene in 2014, has been elusive to Dembare who last reached the final of the premier knockout tournament back in 2015.
This year DeMbare are celebrating their 60-year anniversary and would have loved to bag the league title, but they eventually finished third in the championship and now the Chibuku Super Cup is their last hope for a trophy.
Coach Genesis Mangombe believes their failure to land the league title will fuel their desire to win the Chibuku Super Cup.
“We failed to win the league championship and couldn’t finish second. We want to make sure that our fans are happy by winning the Chibuku Super Cup. Playing in the final means we are doing something good,” Mangombe told journalists.
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“I’m happy because I have a healthy squad.
"Everyone is there and ready. I have a selection headache for the final 11. The players are motivated already and what is left is just to add some tactics.”
In spite of the outcome of today's Cup final, Dynamos have already done enough to qualify for the Caf Confederations Cup next season and to play in Africa for the first time in over a decade.
“It’s good for the team and for the country as a whole. Being the biggest club in the country we are hoping to lead by example by doing well in the competition. We won’t go into the competition to make up the numbers, but to make our names known and to announce that Dynamos is back.
“It’s good for me on a personal level and for the club because at the end of it all, you have to say I managed to achieve and win this medal. We are trying our level best to win the cup and add it to our trophy cabinet. We have done well this season and the cup can cap it all. It will be the biggest achievement for us this year,” Mangombe said.
Mangombe will be looking at the stars who made the team tick this season such as Soccer Star finalists Donald Mudadi and Tanaka Shandirwa as well as Emmanuel Jalai, teenage striker Elton Chikona, Junior Makunike and Issa Sadiki, among others to win the cup for the club.
However, what is not encouraging is Dynamos's history playing against Ngezi Platinum Stars at Baobab.
Dynamos have failed to beat Ngezi Platinum Stars in eight of the last nine league meetings between the two teams and they are still in search of their first victory in Mhondoro Ngezi since the team was promoted to the premiership in 2016.
Ngezi Platinum Stars coach Takesure Chiragwi, who scooped the Coach of the Year gong at the awards night on Friday night, said his charges need very little encouragement to show up in the final.
“My players don’t need to be psyched up (for the final). They are at work; they know. The reasons for us to be champions are because they know that they need to play and win games,”Chiragwi said.
“It is a competition and now we face the final, which is our most important prize. We need to finish on a high note and we need to shift focus.
“We need to focus on the next game, which is the Chibuku final. The boys have been doing this throughout the season, there is nothing new, we believe in them and they are very professional.”
Soccer Star of the Year Qadr Amini and others who made the Soccer Stars list such as Takunda Benhura and goalkeeper Nelson Chadya are expected to help the club land their second Chibuku Super Cup title.
They won their first in their debut season in 2016.
