HARARE - It an old adage that history repeats itself, first as tragedy, and then as farce.
The cliché rings true to Zimbabwean champions Dynamos Football Club.
Hours after the club’s executive chairman Kenny Mubaiwa received quite a spanking in the race for the Premier Soccer League (PSL) chairmanship from none other than Twine Phiri, president of old enemy CAPS United, Dynamos tumbled out of the African Champions League in the early stages of the tournament for the fourth year in a row.
Congolese giants AS Vita landed a severe blow on Dynamos here yesterday, winning the second leg of the first round 1-0 after doing well in the Harare leg, where they held out to a nil all draw.
The defeat yesterday marked yet another sensational exit from the competition by the Harare giants having failed to advance to the mini-league phase in the previous three years.
Just like in their previous 10 away matches in Africa, Dynamos failed to find their rhythm away from home.
AS Vita got the all-important goal from Taddy Etekiama, who converted from a penalty spot in the first half.
The Congolese advance to the next round where they will now meet South African giants Kaizer Chiefs, who thrashed Mozambican side Liga Muculmana 7-0 on aggregate.
The Glamour Boys last reached the mini-league stage of Africa’s premier club competition in 2010, when they finished bottom of their group.
In 2011, then under Lloyd Mutasa, Dynamos were dumped in the final qualifying round by Algerian side MC Algiers.
Dynamos won the first leg 4-1 at Rufaro Stadium but capitulated in the second leg in Algiers to go down 3-0.
In 2012, DeMbare bowed out of the competition at the same stage at the hands of the then reigning champions Esperance of Tunisia.
DeMbare put up one of their worst performances on the continent and were convincingly beaten 6-0 in the first leg in Tunisia by a Youssef Msakni-inspired Esperance at Tunis’ Rades Stadium.
The second leg in Harare was a mere formality as Dynamos needed to pull off one of the most daring escapes by winning 6-0 or better to progress.
And last year, DeMbare was again knocked out in the first round of the competition by Tunisian side CA Bizertin 3-1 on aggregate.