Zimbabwe soccer champions Dynamos have agreed to splash probably their biggest spending on players to date by sealing an ZK8 million (about $100 000) deal to lure three players from the mini town of Ndola to strengthen their squad for the African Champions League.

According to reports from the Zambian cap, Lusaka, the Harare giants agreed to pay ZK2 million (about $25 000) for midfielder Crispen Simwanza of newly promoted Super Division side Railway Express on wed last week.

Dynamos then followed this with a bigger deal the following day when they agreed to pay another Super Division side, Indeni, ZK6 million (about $75 000) for the services of midfielders Joshua Sakala and Nicholas Kasongo.

Although no confirmation on the transfer fees could be obtained from Dynamos chairman Morrison Sifelani yesterday, Railway Express secretary Nicholas Malaya and his Indeni count Chama Chishimba told the ZDM last week that they would receive ZK8 million (about $100 000) for this three players.

The deal is easily Dynamos' biggest investment on new players to date and the Harare giants should consider themselves lucky to have found such easy pickings given the current rising costs of players, even on the domestic scene.

The dill also shows signs of change for a time that has been criticised before for their reluctance to open their cheque book and since good foreign players to strengthen their squad for a serious challenge on the continent.

While Dynamos have been the unrivalled kings of local football, they have struggled to achieve the same glory on the continent and their best showing has seen them just reach as far as the quota-finals of the then African Cup of Club Champions which was replaced by the Champions League last year.

Alt Sifelani said their focus this year was mainly on the African Champions League, the arrival of Simwanza, Sakala and Kasongo will also boost their chances of retaining the domestic league championship.

Although Dynamos won the league championship last year, they had a very average side compared to some of their main rivals like CAPS United and owe their victory to the determination and the guidance of shrewd coach Sunday Marimo.

For apart from the influential Tauya "Flying Doctor" Murewa, ageless skipper Memory Mucherahowa, midfielder Lloyd Mutasa and tough-as-teak defender Kaitano Tembo and Claudius Zviripayi, Dynamos had a number of ordinary players within their ranks who were likely to struggle to win the league championship again this year, let alone the Champions League.

The signing of Simwanza, who is already reported to have arrived in Harare on Saturday, Kasongo and Sakala brings the number of Zambians on the Dynamos payroll to four.

Bustling striker Francis Kasanda was the first to arrive last year and his commendable performance, especially during the final stages of the league championship, must have convinced Dynamos to sign the three other Zambians.

Zimbabwe's soccer season literally gets underway on February 1 when city rivals Dynamos and CAPS United clash in the first of two memorial matches to honour two of their fallen greats - defender Watson Muhoni and former CAPS chairman Shelton Zandanemako.

National Premier Soccer League secretary-general Chris Sibanda said yesterday the two teams had agreed to play another match on February 8 to raise funds for the late Muhoni and Zandanemako.

"The venues for these two matches are still being considered and will be announced soon. We are making the preparations to make sure that they will be competitive enough to attract as many people as possible.

"This is all meant to raise funds for the families of these two men who did much for our football. We are very happy that both Dynamos and CAPS United, who were served so well by these two fallen giants, agreed to play in both matches.

"We are appealing to the fans, irrespective of which teams they support, to unite and honour these two men during the two matches. The worst sin that we could do is to glorify our heroes when they are alive and forget them when they die," said Sibanda.

The NPSL secretary-general said both Dynamos and CAPS United needed to urge their supporters to come in their thousands to "support this worthy cause for the benefit of the families of both Zandanemako and Muhoni".

Sibanda said with good organisation both matches would attract a sizeable number of people and pointed out the successful memorial match they organised for the late Zimbabwe star Stanley Ndunduma as an example.

Charity matches have in the past failed to attract a lot of fans because teams have generally taken the opportunity to field weaker sides.

The late Zandanemako, a tough-talking former CAPS United chairman and a founder member of the NPSL in 1992, died last year while promising Dynamos defender, Muhoni, was killed in a car accident earlier this month.

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