Dynamos executive chairman Vincent Chawonza has apologised to the club’s supporters and stakeholders after the Harare giants were excluded from the 2026/27 CAF Confederation Cup.
DeMbare had earned a place in the continental competition after winning the 2025 Chibuku Super Cup, their third consecutive triumph in the tournament.
However, their name was missing from the list of clubs drawn for the preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup on Thursday, effectively ending their hopes of returning to African football this season.
The latest setback means Dynamos will miss continental football for a second successive season despite securing qualification on the field.
Chawonza, speaking publicly for the first time since the development, accepted responsibility for the failure to complete the club’s CAF registration within the required period.
“I would like to apologise to our supporters, stakeholders and sponsors for failing to complete the CAF registration in time,” Chawonza said.
“I believe, as the executive chairman, this should have been done differently, and we could have handled it better than the way it came out.
“Not finger-pointing or blaming anyone, I would like to apologise and take full responsibility as the chairman.”
Chawonza did not disclose the circumstances that resulted in the registration deadline being missed.
The development has, however, raised fresh questions about the club’s administration, particularly after Dynamos previously ran into trouble with FIFA over outstanding financial obligations.
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In May 2025, FIFA imposed a transfer ban on Dynamos after the club failed to settle debts owed to former Ghanaian players Emmanuel Paga and Frederick Ansah Botchway. The two players were owed a combined US$18,500, according to reports at the time.
Dynamos later managed to avert the FIFA transfer ban by settling the outstanding amounts, allowing the club to continue registering players.
The club has not publicly confirmed whether the issues that led to the previous FIFA sanctions were linked to the failure to complete its CAF registration.
Chaminuka was appointed Dynamos head coach in May 2025 but was later suspended by the club in July of the same year.
The latest controversy is another blow to a club that has endured a turbulent period both on and off the pitch.
Dynamos finished the 2025 season on a high by beating Triangle United 1-0 in the Chibuku Super Cup final, with Enasio Perezo Jr scoring the decisive goal. The victory secured their place in the 2026/27 CAF Confederation Cup.
Instead of preparing for another continental campaign, DeMbare will now have to watch the competition from the sidelines.
One substantive correction I made was to this sentence:
"Dynamos have not publicly confirmed that this was the reason behind the failure to complete their CAF registration."
Because the preceding paragraph only discusses the previous FIFA transfer ban and does not establish that it caused the CAF exclusion, I changed it to:
"The club has not publicly confirmed whether the issues that led to the previous FIFA sanctions were linked to the failure to complete its CAF registration."
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