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NEWLY promoted Bulawayo Chiefs Football Club has changed its name to Plumtree Chiefs to identify with the border town. Dumisani Mantula Sibanda, the Zifa Southern Region Division One Soccer League champions’ secretary, confirmed the development yesterday and is confident that the move will yield the desired results.The club bought its franchise from FC Windermere at the beginning of 2012 and has been playing its home matches at Dingumuzi Stadium in Plumtree.
The ambitious club wants to play Premiership matches in the border town but judging by the progress on the ground, time has run out for them to erect a facility that will meet Premiership standards.
Sibanda admitted that they are behind time in as far as construction of a stadium is concerned.
“The club is now known as Plumtree Chiefs Football Club. The people of Bulilima and Mangwe have supported the club through thick and thin and after consultations with the community it was then agreed that we come up with a name that identifies with people of the area. It is our hope that by changing the name, we will be able to attract the community of Plumtree to support the club.
“About the stadium, we are still waiting for people from Gwanda to come and assess the land but we don’t know when they will be available. The other challenge is that before we even begin construction there is a need to set up the sewer system and that will consume time but we are tirelessly working on having Premiership matches played in Plumtree,” Sibanda said.
The provincial planning officers are based in Gwanda.
He said the other option that they have is to refurbish Dingumuzi Stadium which is in a bad state and giving that facility a facelift is likely to consume the same amount of money as constructing a new stadium.
With the Premiership season set to get underway in March, reality should be knocking on Plumtree Chiefs’ door that they will play their topflight matches in Bulawayo.
Plumtree Chiefs coach Thulani “Thuts” Sibanda has already started identifying players to bolster the squad for their maiden Premiership appearance.
“On the technical side there are players that we have targeted but once we finalise deals we will let you know. After a review of our season’s performance I saw it proper to beef up the squad so that when we go into the PSL we have a team that will manage to fight for survival,” said Sibanda.
Some of the players that are on Plumtree Chiefs’ radar include ex-Dynamos midfielder Timire Mamvura and Smart Muchabaiwa of Shabanie Mine.
Captain Lindelani “Vice” Ncube, who was voted as their Player of the Year and the Most Consistent Player on Sunday, will be among the key players.
Utility player Proud “Sjankala” Zireni, striker Tedious Mugumanja, their 2013 season top goal scorer George Majika with eight goals and Wilberforce Chiramba are some of the players that Sibanda is building his squad around.
For being the top goalscorer Majika got $150 and banked another $250 after his teammates voted him as their Players’ Player of the Year.
Online Reporter