CAF games for Zvishavane

Ishemunyoro Chingwere recently in ZVISHAVANE

ZIMBABWE’S sole representatives in the 2015 continental club football competition, FC Platinum, have stepped up efforts to host their games in the mining town of Zvishavane.

The Chibuku Super Cup winners will be hoping to exorcise the ghosts of 2012 when they were forced to play their home matches in the 48th edition of Africa’s premier club tournament in Harare after failing to meet the Confederation of African Football’s accommodation requirements.

A star-studded FC Platinum went on to bow out in the first round, drawing 2 all with Al Merreikh of Sudan at Rufaro before succumbing to an embarrassing 3-0 defeat in the return fixture and their faithful subsequently blamed the staging of their home matches in Harare as one of the reasons they failed to make it to the money-spinning group stage.

Next year they will represent Zimbabwe in the 12th edition of the CAF Confederation Cup and coincidentally will be the country’s only representatives in continental football following the failure by local champions Dynamos to register for the 51st edition of the CAF Champions League.

Club president George Mawere told this publication that they are hopeful they will be accorded the honour to host their matches in Zvishavane.

“We will obviously want to play our home matches at home and that is in Zvishavane.

“Everything obviously rests with the authorities who will make a decision on the suitability of Zvishavane hosting CAF matches. But in our view we have made major strides in so far as meeting the set requirements and we are hopeful we will be granted the honour,” said Mawere.

In Mandava, Mawere reckons they have one of the best stadia and is also confident that three-star Pote Hill Hotel — whose management claims was constructed on the backdrop of FC Platinum failing to host their continental matches in the mining town due to lack of requisite accommodation facilities — will pass the test.

“There is no question as to the suitability of Mandava as it is by far one of the best venues the country has to offer. On the accommodation side, there is Pote Hill Hotel, which we are confident has what it takes to hosts visiting teams,” said Mawere.

Pote Holdings, owners of Pote Hill Hotel, General Manager Tamson Mthombeni said Africa was more than welcome to their facility, saying their services will no doubt satisfy their needs.

“We are happy a team from our town has qualified for such a prestigious tournament and are naturally looking forward to the games.

“We are aware there have been question marks over accommodation facilities here, but I can assure you that unlike back in 2012, Zvishavane now has one of the best hotels in the country, which, for your own information, was built as a response to the town’s failure to host Caf games back in 2012.

“We got Hotel status in 2013 and have gone on to scoop a couple of awards in the industry. There is nothing to worry for the teams that will play FC Platinum as we will offer them the very best. We are not new to hosting foreign dignitaries and just last month we had a delegation from World Bank.

“Actually, I am of the view that there are very few facilities, even in Harare, that compare to Pote Hill Hotel,” said Mthombeni.

The facility has, among other things, a total of 46 rooms — 41 standard and five executive, 24-hour wireless internet, 2 conference rooms, a swimming pool and other related amenities.

Wilfred Mukuna, who sits on the CAF inspection committees, would not put his head on the block and say whether Zvishavane would pass the CAF test or not as he had not been to the accommodation facilities the town is offering, but said there was a likelihood they will succeed.

“I will not be in a position to state exactly whether they will be successful, but CAF will send inspectors who, among other things, will look at how the hotel is rated and its convenience.

Asked if a three-star facility will suffice CAF requirements, Mukuna said: “The inspectors will not be limited to the hotel’s rating as such; they will also use their discretion to assess how suitable the facility is,” said Mukuna.

But as uncertainty hovers over where they will play their home matches, the technical team, led by former Warriors midfielder Norman Mapeza, is not resting on its laurels and are reportedly working round the clock in the transfer market.

The miners are being linked with the signature of livewire Black Rhinos winger Brian Muzondiwa as well as How Mine’s Emmanuel Mandiranga, who cut his teeth with the famed Aces Youth Academy.

Soccer star of the year finalist Tendai Samanja is also a wanted man at the mine.