adminTadious Manyepo–Sports Reporter
BLACK Rhinos have been challenged to invoke yesteryear spirit which saw the army team dominating the local football scene in the 1980s.
The club which won the 1984 and 1987 league titles has literally been reduced into an elevator club which frequently gets relegated and find themselves always fighting their way back into the top-flight.
The club actually used to attract bumper crowds at the stadiums as they played beautiful football but all that has changed.
And during a kit handover ceremony at a Harare hotel last night in which he was the guest of honour, Brigadier General Training in the Zimbabwe National Army, Brigadier General Sipho Sibanda, said the club had the potential which needed to be fully utilised.
”Our club has what it takes to conquer the football panorama once again. I vividly remember when Black Rhinos was formed in 1982, they used to be a very good team.
”They won several accolades during these years including the 1984 and 1987 league titles,” he said.
”During those years we had several good players such as Stanford ‘Stix’ Mutizwa who is now our assistant coach, Maronga ‘The Bomber’ Nyangela, Jerry Chidawa and Gift ‘Shaft’ Makoni among others.
”The team had a lot of very good stars. We want to see that happening now. Of course we have endured several years without winning accolades and we should put our act together, fight for the team and return where we belong.
”Our brand of football should improve so that we can attract more sponsors and fans to the stadia.”
The kits were sponsored by Fossil Agro with Vumba Trust chipping in with warm-up apparel and branded individualised water bottles.
Fossil Agro representative Dionne Shambo said her company was committed to continue supporting the soldiers in their kitting needs.
”We are renewing our partnership with Black Rhinos whom we have been kitting since last year. Our relationship is cast in stone and we will chip in with more sponsorship beyond this,” she said.
”We are happy to be associated with the Black Rhinos brand, we believe they will market our brand well. We have no doubt in their record, their discipline is top-notch and we are happy to be associated with their brand.”
The club also unveiled their entire season squad including the returning Kudakwashe Nyakudanga and Tatenda Mchisa who was formerly with Ngezi Platinum.
Howeve,r striker Lot Chiunga will have to wait a bit to fully recover before he plunges into action.
He was injured in 2018 but he made a miraculous return early this year but the technical team feels he still needs some time to fully heal before he can play competitive football again.
Black Rhinos face Tenax in their next match at Sakubva on Saturday.
They sit eighth on the log with 17 points to their name, nine behind leaders Dynamos
Online Reporter