Wenslus Murape
Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
LIFTING the prestigious Chibuku Super Cup trophy with Dynamos, for the second year in a row, might have been Emmanuel Paga’s special goodbye to the blue army.
DeMbare drafted their piece of history to become the first team to win the Chibuku Super Cup twice consecutively after beating Ngezi Platinum Stars 4-2 on penalty shoot-outs.
The match ended 1-1 in extra time.
Dynamos’ Ghanaian import played a crucial role at Dynamos, not only in its two cup successes but the team’s past three Castle Lager Premier Soccer League seasons.
This season, he scored three of DeMbare’s 27 goals and recorded several assists while he scored twice for the team in the 2024 Cup competition.
With his contract coming to an end on December 31, his future has been one of the key talking points in the blue camp.
Despite the doubt on whether they will extend his stay or not, Paga is content with the years that he got the “opportunity” to put on the blue shirt.
The uncertainty did not stop the forward from lighting up the pitch to celebrate the Chibuku Cup, but after the jubilations, he revealed that it might have been his final game at Dynamos.
“I am not sure yet if there will be negotiations for extension but so far they have not said anything,” said the speedy Forward.
“There are still some days until December 31, so maybe something will come up.
“But even if they decide not to renew my contract, I am grateful for the three years that I have been here and the value I added to the team throughout.
“Even if I find a new club, Dynamos has been home and I have learnt a lot here.”
It is without doubt that the DeMbare crowds absolutely adored him as one of the incredible players on the team.
For head coach Lloyd Chigowe, Paga was often the go-to man when Dynamos was under pressure and needed goals.
This event left enthusiasts agreeing that the Ghanaian striker should be a regular starter for DeMbare.
Yet putting on the blue badge is all that mattered to Paga.
“Coming here I had no idea the club was this big, I had heard a lot about it but never imagined what it was like playing for them,” he said.
“Making it to the match-day squad was everything, so even when I came in as a substitute I made sure I played wholeheartedly.
“It is not easy to be trusted with duty at such a big club.”
Apart from a high work rate, generally, the forward is a player who gives it his all whenever he steps on the pitch.
This is probably the reason all coaches who have been with Dynamos in the three seasons preferred using him, be it as a starter or from the bench.
“It will be painful to leave; I would have wanted to be here one more time but everything comes to an end someday so it is all up to the employer,” he added.
For all his time at DeMbare, Paga said last year was his toughest of the three seasons.
Coming in as a second-half substitute, he was the villain after missing his spot kick resulting in Dynamos losing 3-5 to Highlanders in the Independence Cup in Mount Darwin.
For weeks, he went through a rough patch, emotionally.
“It felt like I had let down the team so I blamed myself and also faced a lot of backlash from everywhere,” he said.
“I went through a difficult time, it took me a while to heal and restore the courage to take the shots.”
His best moments were putting on the blue kit on a Harare derby day at Rufaro Stadium.
Paga enjoyed the ambiance that came with the derby environment in the iconic arena.
This year, for the first time since joining DeMbare in 2022, they played the derby at Rufaro.
“Like every player, I looked forward to playing at Rufaro, the atmosphere is always different,” he said.
“Even if I walk back home now, I have so much to smile about when I talk about Dynamos.”
Online Reporter
