Zimbabwe: Club Makes History

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Zimbabwe: Club Makes History

ZIMBABWE'S most decorated club Dynamos made history on Saturday by becoming the first team from Southern Africa to make the group stages of the African Champions League three times since the money-spinning format was introduced in 1997.

The Dynamos coffers will also get a massive boost as they are already guaranteed a minimum of US$95 000 for being among the top eight clubs in this year's tournament.

What makes Dynamos' record even more impressive is that they actually have a 100 percent record as they have only featured in the new-look Champions League three times -- in 1998, 1999 and this year -- and making it through to the group stage on all attempts.

The Zimbabwean champions also became the first team in Southern Africa to eliminate the African Champions League holders in the knockout stages.

They actually became the first team in the whole of Africa to eliminate the Champions League holders in the knockout stages of the revamped tournament WITHOUT conceding a goal.

Dynamos now join seven other teams -- ASEC Abidjan of Cote d'Ivoire, five-time winners Al Ahly of Egypt, TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zamalek of Egypt, Al Hilal of Sudan, Cotonsport Garoua of Cameroon and Enyimba of Nigeria -- in the group stage whose draw will be conducted on Saturday in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

ASEC Abidjan, who beat Dynamos in the 1998 final, qualified for the group phase of the African Champions League for a record ninth time on Sunday on the away goals rule after a 1-1 draw at Olympique Khouribga in Morocco.

ASEC, who were in the same group with Dynamos in the 1999 tournament, have missed out on the league phase just three times since the new format of the competition was introduced in 1997.

Apart from ASEC, Dynamos have not played against the other six teams in the mini-league phase of the Champions League although they eliminated Al Hilal in the first round of the then Africa Cup of Club Champions in 1995, winning both legs 1-0.

DeMbare also had some bruising contests against Egyptian giants Al Ahly -- then known by their English version of National SC -- in the old Africa Cup of Club Champions in the early '80s.

TP Mazembe, who narrowly edged out Mwana Africa from last year's Caf Confederation Cup in the third round, are a flamboyant club whose owner gave the players US$150 000 to share last month for merely reaching the second round.

With the hard-fought 1-0 win over fancied Etoile du Sahel on Saturday night, Dynamos broke away from the small group of teams that had made it to the mini-league phase of the African Champions League from Southern Africa.

South African giants and 1996 winners Orlando Pirates and 2001 losing finalists Mamelodi Sundowns are the other teams from the region who had made it to the mini-league stage twice and they were joined by the DRC's TP Mazembe who reached the lucrative stage for the second time at the weekend.

In Zimbabwe, CAPS United were the first team to take part in the new-look African Champions League in 1997 under Steve Kwashi after winning the 1996 Premiership title and they then made two more entries in 2005 and 2006 under Charles Mhlauri.

But on all occasions they could not reach the mini-league stage.

Highlanders have had the most attempts as they took part in five Champions League campaigns but failed to go past the second round on all occasions while the now defunct Amazulu participated in the 2004 tournament.

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