Dynamos coach Aristica Cioaba is coming under increasing pressure from the club’s supporters, with the Romanian’s decision to part with striker Jairos Kasondo now under fresh scrutiny following the Glamour Boys’ struggles in front of goal.
Cioaba made an immediate impact after taking charge at Dynamos, quickly winning over the notoriously demanding DeMbare faithful with positive results and an attacking approach. But the mood around the Romanian tactician has begun to change as Dynamos’ goals have dried up.
Much of the frustration is centred on the decision to allow Kasondo to leave the club on loan to FC Agama, creating room for Burkina Faso striker Ben Sidibe, a player who arrived with considerable expectations after being backed by Cioaba as the type of finisher Dynamos needed.
Kasondo had already scored six goals before his temporary departure and had emerged as one of Dynamos’ leading scorers. His exit therefore raised questions among supporters, particularly as the team had increasingly relied on goals from wide areas rather than a consistent central striker.
Sidibe, however, has struggled to justify the hype surrounding his arrival. Since joining Dynamos during the mid-season transfer window, the Burkinabe forward has scored just once, despite being expected to provide the cutting edge that had been missing from the team.
The contrast has become increasingly difficult for supporters to ignore as Dynamos have gone through a prolonged spell without finding the back of the net.
Cioaba previously defended the decision to allow Kasondo to leave, explaining that the striker wanted regular playing time.
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“I had no choice to keep Kasondo as he is that type of player which says if I don't play or be on the bench, I then go. He only wants to play; he doesn't want to be on the bench,” Cioaba said during a press conference.
But with Dynamos now struggling for goals, some supporters believe the decision has come back to haunt the coach.
“On Sidibe, we were scammed. There’s no such a striker who couldn’t even finish clear chances,” one frustrated fan said on Sunday following Dynamos’ Chibuku Super Cup elimination at the hands of newly promoted FC Hunters.
The defeat appears to have deepened the frustration surrounding Cioaba. Dynamos were knocked out after losing on penalties to FC Hunters, with sections of the DeMbare faithful questioning the coach’s tactical decisions and substitutions.
Some supporters openly questioned whether Cioaba is still the right man to lead the club, a dramatic change in sentiment for a coach who had quickly established himself as a fan favourite after replacing Genesis Mangombe.
Dynamos’ current struggles are particularly striking given how freely the side scored earlier in the campaign. The Glamour Boys were capable of scoring three or four goals in matches during the early stages of the season and immediately after Cioaba’s arrival.
That attacking fluency has now disappeared, leaving the coach under pressure to find a solution.
The spotlight is inevitably falling on Sidibe, whose arrival was supposed to address Dynamos’ need for a reliable goalscorer. Instead, his lack of goals has intensified the debate over Kasondo’s departure and Cioaba’s recruitment decisions.
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