🔸Former player claims the club has turned away from God.
POWER Dynamos have been sitting on a time bomb that may just explode this season if they don’t act quickly.
Boasting of a decent history that has seen them win six league titles, several cups, and a continental title, the trend in the last decade at Power Dynamos has been that of underachievement.
Since they last won the league title in 2011, the only silverware that has entered the now ‘dusty’ trophy cabinet at Arthur Davies Stadium is the Samuel ‘Zoom’ Ndhlovu Charity Shield in 2012, 2013, and 2016.
Power fans have had to endure the agony of watching what they term as small teams like Zesco United and Zanaco surpass their six titles while rivals Nkana have moved to 13, seven better than the Ndeke outfit.
The fans have been reduced to celebrating the exploits of England-based pair Patson Daka and Enock Mwepu who had once played at Power in their formative years.
Nkana fans mock their Power counterparts stating that their biggest trophy in recent years is winning the Kitwe Derby.
The club has not been idle in trying to find a cure to the lack of success. Today, Power is among the busiest employers in the local game having changed coaches over five times in the last five years.
The going has been tough, last season they survived the chop by seven points, and this campaign, the Ndeke outfit has been flirting with relegation since matchday one.
They sit bottom with seven points after a run of one win, five defeats, and four draws in 10 games.
You do not need to be a prophet or spend nights at the altar to tell that this kind of form would get any team relegated. However, Lottie Phiri thinks it is nothing to do with form, the battle is spiritual.
Phiri claims the club was dedicated to God in 2011 but over the years, like the children of Israel in bible days, the club has departed from its path and they are on the brink of facing the consequences.
“I will take you back to 2011, we dedicated that team to God saying that this team needs to do everything according to the will of God,” Phiri says with great conviction. “When God decides to show something to anyone, that vision is always between God and that person. When God showed me the problems of Power Dynamos I said it and people did not take me seriously.
“Today, Power Dynamos is at the bottom of the league, that is why I wrote, repeating the vision that my father showed me about Power Dynamos,” he said.
Phiri’s claims are rebuffed by his former teammates.
“There was nothing like that [dedicating the team to God], he may be referring to the regular devotion that we used to hold as players whenever we were in camp,” one former player says, “I think every club does that even the current players I want to believe they do it.”
However, Phiri insists that there will be consequences come matchday 34.
“This is what is happening to Power Dynamos, if they don’t seek the face of my father, believe me, Power Dynamos the next season will be playing Division One football.
“Once a word comes, it comes to warn but if you don’t take the word seriously it will come to pass, that team was dedicated to God and they need to humble themselves to seek the face of God and he will hear their cry,” he says.
Why would God be interested in Power Dynamos anyway?
I reached out to a Lusaka pastor who had this to say;
“Personally I think there is no absolute sign, reason, or any justification why God would be involved in any of our sporting issues…truth be told people just get emotional and they want to throw God into the whole thing,” the pastor who sought anonymity said.
So, where to for Power from here, should an exorcism be carried out at Arthur Davies Stadium and Ravens training ground?
Power are going through football problems and as such, need football solutions, this will do well to ignore Phiri’s ‘prophesy’ and work dealing with the real problem.
The club has been sitting on a time bomb for close to a decade and it is about to explode. If Power was to be relegated, it would be nothing to do with Phiri’s prophesy.
Despite being among the best financially backed teams by Zambian standards, Power have not made the right investment in the team.
Most times, the club gets players from lowly placed teams and the lower division with the hope of competing against the likes of Zesco, Zanaco, and Nkana among others.
Power seems to be the only club with no problem in losing some of its best players to teams that would be considered as their direct competitors.
A few seasons back, talented players like Alan Chibwe, Jimmy Ndhlovu, Kelvin Kampamba, and Alex Ng’onga have been allowed to leave the club and been replaced by rookies.
The most recent departures which have not been adequately replaced are Benson Sakala and Rally Bwalya.
The few times the club has attempted to do business in the foreign market, it has brought what has turned out to be among some of the worst imports to have played in Zambia.
There is no consistency on the technical bench since they fired Tenant Chilumba in 2016; none of the five subsequent Power coaches has lived the full duration of their contract.
Coming to this season, the club was ill-prepared and it is showing on the pitch. They had a rushed preseason and entered the campaign with an interim coach. You cannot compete effectively with such kind of preparation.
He may deny it, but coach Mwenya Chipepo could have underestimated the work on his hands when he accepted to leave Indeni for Power.
Since his appointment, he has only managed one win, losing one and drawing two.
Luckily for them, we are only 10 weeks into a 34 – week – long season, that’s enough time for Chipepo to save Power from what would be their first-ever relegation.
