adminNgqwele Dube Sports Correspondent
PREMIER Soccer League aspirants, Bulawayo City might have stumbled in their Southern Region Division One title charge last weekend but they remain favourites to win the sole ticket to the “big boys club.” The log leaders, City lost to visiting Technosphere of Hwange 1-0 at Luveve Stadium and allowed second placed Bulawayo Chiefs, who thumped Mpumalanga 6-0 across town at Fairbridge on the same day, to reduce the deficit at the top to four points.
Going into this weekend’s matches City are on 49 points while Chiefs had 45.
The Bulawayo City Council sponsored team arrived in Division One at the beginning of the year and immediately made their intentions known as they recalled then Highlanders treasurer, Jerry Sibanda to lead the team’s executive while former Chicken Inn, Quelaton and How Mine coach Philani “Beefy” Ncube (pictured) came in as head coach. City also roped in former Chicken Inn team manager, Tizirai Luphahla into the fold as team manager. All of them are BCC employees.
City have been using red and white as their home colours, away they use all white but last week they donned the yellow kit donated by Ingwebu Breweries, a council owned liquor undertaking company.
When it came to player selection, there was a flurry of what some newspapers termed Premiership “rejects”, flocking to the team as they searched for a new home, but City went for the tried and trusted, enlisting the so-called rejects who include former Highlanders defender Bruce Tshuma, seasoned goalkeeper Ndodana Sibanda, Terrance Majo, Xolisani Moyo, Warren Dube, all once on the books of How Mine, Eddie Nkulungo and Innocent Kutsanzira who once tasted the Premiership with Quelaton and the mid-season transfer window allowed them to sign former Highlanders trio Simba Sithole, Welcome Ndiweni and Innocent Mapuranga.
City’s chairman, Sibanda said they remain grounded and believe there is still everything to play for with eight matches to go.
While the former Gwanda Ramblers and Bosso player conceded that having a squad full of Premiership experience right from the coach, players and administration had played a critical role in their title charge, he felt the boys were also eager to write their own piece of history and this spurred them on.
“Yes we might have that Premiership experience among the players but I don’t think it has given us the edge but the boys have shown determination to come out first and write their own piece of history,” added Sibanda.
After their loss to Technosphere, assistant coach, Farai Mujokoro said they were not perturbed by the defeat and feel they are still on track. He said they still have a comfortable lead and will regroup and focus on winning their next coming games.
Amakhosi, as City are known, have been the consistent of the teams, notching up crucial wins, particularly when playing away to Hwange and Victoria Falls-based teams as these have over the years presented problems to title-chasing Bulawayo teams. However, Amakhosi have managed to collect crucial points.
Mujokoro said they would be taking each day as it comes and believes it is still work in progress as far as bagging the title is concerned.
“We are focusing on each game as it comes and we are not celebrating. I think after the loss we will come out stronger, the boys obviously want to show their pedigree and bounce back,” he said.
“The Premiership experience has played a role as we lost only one match at home. It is not only the defence and the goalkeeper who should be applauded for the run, but the whole team has worked hard as we have defended in numbers while pushing forward together as a unit.”
High riding City have earned the admiration of their rivals with Chiefs coach, Thulani Sibanda claiming they have thrown in the towel as their rivals are a strong side and “it will be difficult for any team to stop them.”
Technosphere coach, Try Ncube also said they still had deep seated respect for the log leaders as they had a good coach in “Beefy” and were a strong side despite claiming all six points from City.
City, formerly known as BCC Golden Stars were a Bulawayo Amateur Football Association league team in 2012 and decided to turn professional by moving into the Bulawayo Province’s Division Three league in 2013 and won promotion the same year to Division Two where they only stayed for one year before making it into Division One and they look set to move to the Premiership after only battling one year in the Southern Region and in the process write their own piece of history.
The football club started as a social club for security guards based at Luveve Parade Base and had been depending on contributions by its members until last year when council decided to fund it.
Online Reporter