Dynamos in CAF Champions League Semis

By: Daryl | October 2nd, 2008

Unfancied CFR Cluj and FC BATE Borisov have made good starts to their UEFA Champions League campaigns (Cluj are still unbeaten after playing Roma away and Chelsea at home). But they have a long long way to go to match Dynamos FC of Harare, Zimbabwe.

Despite facing multiple political and economic problems (eg Robert Mugabe and inflation well over 10,000,000%) Dynamos have blazed their way through the African Champions League and will be in the semi-finals on Sunday.

So far Dynamo have beaten defending champions Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia in the last sixteen, and emerged victorious from the quarterfinal group stage with two last gasp goals in the final two games.

Philip Marusu’s 96th minute winner against ASEC Mimosas gave them hope but also presented problems. The team couldn’t pay the players the thee million Zimbabwean dollars win bonus because despite the silly numbers caused by inflation the daily cash withdrawl limit was still one thousand Zimbabwean dollars.

So the players very nearly didn’t show up to play against Egyptian giants Zamalek in the final quarterfinal group game. But they must be glad they did now, as David Shoko’s 90th minute free kick sent them through to the final four.

Here’s the African Champions League semi-final lineup:

Al-Ahly (Egyp) vs Enyimba (Nigeria)
Cotonsport (Cameroon) vs Dynamos (Zimbabwe)

First legs – 5th October, Second legs tbc