Byo City secure PSL golden ticket

Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO City FC are revelling in glory after securing a Premier Soccer League ticket. The side won the Southern Region Soccer League title with two games to spare. They reached an unassailable 65 points, courtesy of a 1-0 away victory against Trumus in Victoria Falls on Saturday. City shrugged off the fierce challenge of bitter rivals Bulawayo Chiefs, who can only end the season on 64 points.

The Southern Region Soccer League champions never looked back from the time they shot to the top of the table on Week 12 as they stubbornly held on until they wrapped up the title on Saturday. Lewis “Rambo” Ncube, a product of struggling Bulawayo giants Highlanders, scored the solitary goal in the resort town to complete a remarkable campaign for the club.

The municipal side also wrote their own piece of history by winning a PSL ticket in their first attempt. The club chairman Jerry Sibanda said his team’s promotion will increase competition in Bulawayo among PSL sides. The City of Kings will have five teams in the PSL next season in the event that Tsholotsho FC manage to swim out of the murky relegation waters. The other teams are Highlanders, How Mine and Chicken Inn.

“The promotion of City into the PSL is a good thing for the people of Bulawayo who have been supportive of the project aimed at developing and creating excitement in football in our city. Everyone worked hard for this dream to be realised and it is that spirit of oneness that got us results,” said Sibanda.

City assembled a good side that they strengthened during the mid-season transfer window by roping in a number of players with PSL experience. Some of the players in the City squad acquired from other Bulawayo-based PSL clubs include Xolisani “Scara” Moyo and Eddie Nkulungo, who were offloaded by How Mine, and ex-Bosso skipper Innocent Mapuranga and Welcome Ndiweni, who fell out of favour at Highlanders.

City’s strikers Qinani Sibanda, Mkhululi Moyo, Trevor Ndlovu and Humphrey Ncube have also played for PSL clubs but fell out of favour and decided to re-launch their careers at the ambitious council side.

City coach Philani “Beefy” Ncube, who led Chicken Inn to promotion into the PSL in 2011 after winning the 2010 Southern Region League, said planning, hardwork and determination were key to their promotion.

“Competition was tight but what I learnt was that there is no substitute for experience. Teamwork got us through and everyone wanted to win,” said Ncube.

“The players played their hearts out as they wanted to prove their critics wrong and winning became easy. My technical team was also driven by the desire to win and the club leadership was also supportive. I hope they will continue with the same attitude in the PSL.”

The other members of the City’s technical department who are all assistants to the coach are Farai Mujokoro, Reginald Buhali, Tizirayi Luphahla, Khetho Moyo and Khulamuzi Nyathi. The first assistant coach, Mephias Webb died in June.

Ncube said plans were underway for City to set up junior structures that would act as a feeder to the first team.

Zifa Southern Region chairman Musa Mandaza wished City well in the PSL.

“They’ve made history by winning promotion in a single attempt. Hopefully teams will learn that if you plan well, you will reap results. As a region, we wish them well in the PSL and we hope they will not return to Division One,” said Mandaza.

Results

Saturday: Indlovu Iyanyathela 0-3 Old Nic Mine, ZPC Hwange 0-1 Technosphere, Black Boots 2-0 Amagagasi, Casmyn 0-1 Bantu Rovers, Hwange Juniors 3-0 Mpumalanga, Nust 0-1 Bulawayo Chiefs, Trumus 0-1 Bulawayo City

Table

P W D L F A GD Pts

Byo City 28 20 5 3 38 7 31 65

Byo Chiefs 28 17 7 4 43 11 32 58

Techno 28 15 7 6 32 15 17 52

ZPC Hwange 28 13 10 5 31 13 18 49

Bantu Rovers* 28 14 5 9 31 17 14 47

Makomo 28 13 6 9 27 24 3 45

Casmyn 28 12 7 9 28 24 4 43

Indlovu 28 12 6 10 22 20 2 43

Black Boots 28 8 14 6 27 20 7 38

Amagagasi 28 8 11 9 20 23 -3 35