The Premier League is the top division of the Zimbabwe Football Association. Every year 18 teams fight for the League Cup. The 3 clubs that have shown the worst results are promoted to the lower division. In 2022, the Motor Action team won the Cup. At the time of writing, the 15th round is underway, the results of which will determine the winner. The winner of the Cup will play in the Champions League. While everyone is waiting for the final matches and the announcement of the winner, we decided to tell you about the club that won the Zimbabwe Premier League Cup 18 times – Dynamos Football Club.
Create a club
The development of football in Zimbabwe began almost immediately after gaining autonomy. In the 50s, there were no national leagues yet, and all teams played at an amateur level. After the organization of the Rhodesian Premier League (predecessor of the Zimbabwe Premier League), the rapid development of clubs began. In 1963, on the basis of two small amateur teams, Dynamos was created, which is based in the city of Harare.
The founder of the club, Sam Dauya, wanted to form a team of black players, while the Rhodesian Premier League was dominated by white players. To do this, he united the small amateur teams of City and United, wrote the club’s charter and came up with an emblem. After the formation of the first team, Sam decided to challenge the long-established teams in the Premier League.
First years
Immediately after their creation, the Dynamos won the Rhodesian Premier League Cup in 1963. The team repeated the success several more times, becoming the six-time winner of the Cup. After Zimbabwe gained full independence in 1980, the division became known as the Zimbabwe Premier League. The first championship was again won by Dynamos. And they made it to the Champions League. They were nicknamed “Glamour Boys” for their style of play.
Dynamos players preferred a style of play with a lot of short passes. As the players themselves said, they play for fun and victory. With this philosophy, Dynamos have won the Zimbabwe and Rhodesia Premier League Cup 22 times.
Crisis of the 90s and 2000s
In the early 90s, the team continued to play at the highest level, winning national championships. But since 1998 the crisis period has begun. It is difficult to say what exactly caused it. Experts note a drop in the overall level of the team due to the active recruitment of talented African players by European clubs. From 1998 to 2007, Dynamos were inferior to direct competitors: Highlanders and CAPS United. In 2007, they again took the Premier League trophy, which marked the end of the crisis and the return of the team to its former level.
Triumphant return
A losing streak in the 2000s did not break the spirit of the team. The management analyzed the mistakes and began to hunt promising young players. From 2011 to 2014 the team won the Cup 4 times in a row. In total, the club has 22 Zimbabwe Premier League Cup titles. No other team has such an indicator. For example, the direct competitor of the Highlanders has won the league only 7 times, and CAPS United – 5.
As of July 2023, the Highlanders are once again favorites for the championship, while Dynamos is in fourth place in the standings. Obviously, the Glamboys will not qualify for the Champions League in 2023. But we know how they like to arrange triumphant returns, so we expect them to have a great game in future championships.
All information about the African Championships on the Betpawa Uganda website.
COMMENTS