daniel chigunwe
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZPC Hwange could suffer another heartbreak and fail to play in the Castle Lager Premiership this season.
After 35 years of unsuccessful bids, some too close, the club eventually got it right last season under coach Mebelo Njekwa when they won the Zifa Southern Region Division One championship.
Mehluli Thebe and his executive pulled an ace when they appointed Njekwa as coach and former Zimbabwe international Carrington Gomba as manager.
But it appears their efforts were of no consequence.
After advising ZIFA of their promotion, they were reminded of the FIFA club licensing rules that bar clubs sponsored by the same organisation from playing in the same league.
Already ZESA sponsors a team in the domestic Premiership.
The club had up to last Friday to confirm their position.
Around Christmas, the Hwange Power Station workers’ committee wrote to the company’s executive chairman Sydney Gata requesting him to intervene and save the situation.
The workers’ body felt that after 35 years of trying, the players deserve their crowning moment and be allowed to play in the Premiership.
Gata’s office then referred the matter to the organisation’s legal department to go through the FIFA provisions that discourage two teams from the same institution from playing in the same division.
Another problem has arisen being the company’s reluctance to sponsor two teams at that level.
Mehluli Thebe, the club’s secretary-general who has over the last five years worked hard to ensure a Premiership League slot is brought to Hwange, refused to comment over the matter on Saturday.
“For that one I have no comment, kindly call our corporate services office, it’s a policy issue,” said Thebe.
Company spokesperson George Manyaya could not be reached for comment.
The promotion of the club had come as a relief for residents of the colliery as Hwange had just been relegated.
This meant there would still be Premiership football in the town.
Online Reporter