IT’S been 13 years since that unforgettable day when football giants Dynamos survived relegation by a whisker on the final day of the season. How they escaped the dreaded chop on that particular rainy day was nothing short of a miracle.
BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE
Some still want to draw controversy into the circumstances surrounding Dynamos’ 2005 great escape.
Needing nothing but victory in the rain- drenched Mucheke Stadium against title-chasing Masvingo United, the two teams were one-all moments into added time.
But, in some curious moment of madness, Masvingo United defender Supren Muchabaya, under no pressure whatsoever, decided to pass the ball back to his goalkeeper.
And, in that waterlogged pitch, the ball just rolled a few metres towards the keeper before landing in a ditch from where an alert Elliot Matsika gathered and slotted it home to ensure DeMbare stayed afloat.
And now the curse of 2005 has struck the Glamour Boys again. Just two points above relegation, having failed to win a league match in three starts, Dynamos are in real danger of relegation.
Since Matsika is no longer playing, Dynamos are in desperate need of another hero from the current crop of players.
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“It’s painful to see a club like Dynamos fight relegation again. What it means is that the club did not learn anything from what happened in 2005,” Matsika told the Sports Hub in an interview last week.
The former star forward called time on his playing career in 2015 at then division one side Yadah Gunners and was part of the Yadah FC technical team in their first season in the premiership last year.
“People may think Dynamos are too big to be relegated, but if something is not done urgently the team will sink. I don’t know what they should do, but clearly the team has been very inconsistent. Maybe the players should take a bit more responsibility for where the team is. It’s sad that I can only watch from the sidelines and there is nothing I can about it now,” the 38-year-old former DT Africa United player said.
Matsika took time to reflect on the 2005 season as well as his famous miracle goal.
“I remember that I had joined Dynamos during the midseason window and they were already mired deep in the relegation zone. I remember discussing with Esau Amisi that we should go and help the club in the fight against relegation.
“We went there and for me, I think, I played my best football during that time. I remember I played 13 matches that season and I think I ended the season with nine goals despite the fact people remember me for the goal I scored on the final day,” Matsika revealed.
Matsika scored four goals in the last three matches as Dynamos beat Motor Action 4–1, Railstars 5–0 and Masvingo 2–1 in the last three games of that tumultuous season.
But it is his final-day goal that stoked all the controversy with some conspiracy theorists using it as “evidence” that the then title-chasing Masvingo United sold the match.
“It was a genuine goal. It was always part of my game to anticipate a loose ball whenever defenders play at the back especially with the goalkeeper. So when I saw Muchabaya turning to face his goalkeeper I started running but considering the state of the pitch, I didn’t think he was going to pass it back.
“But he did and the ball stopped dead in a water puddle. I just ran and hit the ball first time. The keeper punched and I had a second chance to score and did just that and we won. I don’t believe we bought the match because Masvingo made it extremely hard,” Matsika said.
Matsika is a product of Wiesław Grabowski’s Darryn T juniors and had a football career that took him to Paris Saint Germain in France, Poland, South Africa and Mozambique.
A Caf C-licenced coach, Matsika is currently not attached to any team since leaving Yadah FC after spending two years in the technical department at the Prophet Walter Magaya-owned side.
Dynamos are currently in 14th place, one rung above relegation, in the 18-team league with 30 points from 26 outings. They lead Midlands side Nichrut by just two points with eight games remaining in their season.
