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Tadious Manyepo
Sports Reporter
CASTLE Lager Premiership football giants Highlanders and CAPS United as well as Black Rhinos might have failed to win any accolades on the field of play last season but they were scoring big outside it.
The trio has made the cut for the prestigious Most Trusted Football Brand awards by the Chartered Institute of Customer Relationship Management (CICRM).
The winner and the runners-up will be announced during the awards ceremony to be held at a Harare hotel on March 30 soon after the CICRM Customer Engagement Summit.
CICRM president, Mthokozisi Nkosi, confirmed the three teams were nominated in the football clubs’ category after a thorough adjudication process.
“We have more than 20 categories which we are rewarding, including football, telecommunications and media. So what we do is, since we are a consumer-oriented organisation, we take into consideration the relationship a brand has with customers.
“As a committee, we list all football teams playing in the top-flight then we start tracking them one by one. We consider a number of things, including ethics, morals, relations with the outside world and their general discipline both from the team’s perspective and their fans’ conduct,” said Nkosi.
“The vetting process is thorough and we do all we can to make sure we come up with the most deserving winners. The awards recognise brands that have shown unquestionable contribution to the welfare of Zimbabwe’s customers and consumers.
“(We look at) Brands that have shown robustness, remained steadfast, bucked the trend and sown great character despite the many negative forces around them. CICRM focuses on revealing brands that gives consumers and customers peace of mind each time they interact with that brand. Brands that make consumers feel welcome, respected, special, valued and protected.
“The awards seek to reveal brands that are less stressful, ethical, reliable, trustworthy, credible, deliver promises, give pleasurable experiences and give real value for money.”
Nkosi said his organisation carries out countrywide surveys to ascertain brands that give consumers confidence and make them feel safe physically and emotionally.
And it is the trio of Makepekepe, Bosso and Chauya Chipembere who have stood head and shoulders above the rest of the Premier Soccer League lot after ticking most of the boxes of the criterion used.
It’s a development that should make the three clubs become even more professional in their conduct while challenging their colleagues to also improve theirs.
CAPS United remained resolute and continued to attract supporters to the stadiums even when the team was performing below par due to the financial challenges they were facing last season.
The Harare giants at one point were facing relegation yet their fans never turned their backs on them with coach Lloyd Chitembwe saluting them after a routine defeat to Bulawayo Chiefs at Luveve.
“I don’t have good enough superlatives to thank these supporters. They have remained resolute and there is a time when you can feel for them.
“I salute them, these are the people who will make you feel loved and obliged to perform better.
“We were losing the match but they continued to sing and they encouraged us a lot,” said Chitembwe.
“It’s really amazing how these guys have refused to throw in the towel at a time when the team is losing games like this. We owe them and I would like to say thank you. Everything will be well with their support.”
Chitembwe also had the time to engage the club supporters, one on one, explaining to them the technicalities behind the team’s loss of form.
And it is some of those engagement aspects that made Makepekepe stand out although they failed to stamp their authority in either the Chibuku Super Cup or the Castle Lager Premiership championship race.
Black Rhinos have also been a shining brand evidenced by the flocking of sponsors to the army side.
The Stanford “Stix” Mutizwa-coached charges reached the semi-finals of the Chibuku Super Cup last season.
They adopted Sakubva in Mutare as their home ground in the opening half of the season before they relocated to Vengere in Rusape where they attracted capacity crowds during their matches.
Club secretary general, Edward Mutukwa, said the nomination for the Most Trusted Brand award was a major success story for them.
“Football success doesn’t only mean winning matches in the field of play. It also means winning, drawing or losing with dignity. Respect is of utmost importance and external relations are paramount,” said Mutukwa.
“We are an army team and for us, discipline is a keyword. We are very grateful to have been shortlisted for this prestigious award. That nomination alone is a big win for us. We will continue to carry ourselves in a dignified manner whether we are winning or losing matches.” Highlanders attracted the most crowds at their Barbourfields home last season and they were one of the few teams that gave life to the league which was crying out loud for attention from an attendance point of view.
The trio of Highlanders, CAPS United and Black Rhinos will be looking to do well in the field of play this season, of course.
Makepekepe open their season with a date against Manica Diamonds at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday while Bosso are at home to ZPC Kariba at Barbourfields with Black Rhinos playing a day later against Cranborne Bullets at the National Sports Stadium.
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