Chronicle Editor
Tadious Manyepo, Sports Reporter
ZIFA Eastern Region Division One side FC Wangu Mazodze have established another club with the same name which will compete in the Zifa Central Region this coming season.
The team will be based in Redcliff near Kwekwe and they will be using Viscos Sports Club as their home ground.
Club chairman Trevor Chateuka confirmed the development yesterday and said the newly-formed team has already affiliated to the Central Region.
FC Wangu Mazodze have a team in the Zifa Eastern Region, which was involved in the promotion race last season before the ticket was snatched by Bikita Minerals via the boardroom.
Chateuka said both teams will be gunning for promotion in their respective regions in the coming season.
“Our vision is to empower communities through football and it is in that vein that we have established a new team to be based in Redcliff. They will play in the Zifa Central Region Division One in the 2024 season,” said Chateuka.
“We are trying to develop the communities using football as a vehicle for empowerment and development. There are so many youngsters, who are talented but they are not empowered. That is the gap that we want to bridge as Wangu Mazodze.
“We are currently looking for a tried and tested coach to lead the Redcliff team. Our aim is to see that team getting promoted to the Premiership. We are going to run that club as professionally as we do the Masvingo-based one”.
FC Wangu Mazodze failed to clinch Premiership promotion on the final day of the Eastern Region Division One season after failing to beat Renco Mine last year.
They just needed to win that encounter while Bikita Minerals faltered against Grayham.
FC Wangu Mazodze could only pick a point at Renco and then third-placed Tenax posted a smash-and-grab that took them to the summit of the table.
Tenax’s celebrations were short-lived, though, following a controversial board-room decision that reversed the promotion celebrations.
Grayham were found guilty of using an ineligible player in their match against Bikita Minerals, leading to the latter getting a 3-0 win from the drawn match and gaining Premiership promotion ahead of Tenax.
Chateuka said their vision was to see at least one of the two FC Wangu Mazodze sides, if not both, earning Premiership promotion next season.
Already the Eastern Region team has recruited the vastly experienced former Sheasham coach John Nyikadzino to lead.
“It was a painful experience failing to win promotion in a season we largely dominated last year. But that is part of the game.
“We picked a lot of lessons and we are currently addressing some of the issues we think held us back,” said Chateuka.
“We have taken aboard John Nyikadzino and we are confident he will carry our dream this coming season. He comes in to replace George Magariro, whose contract expired in December.
“We have given Nyikadzino the freedom to choose his assistants. At the moment he is still looking at options available to him. We will announce the identity of the backroom staff once he is done.
“Our aim is to play in the top-flight league and we will resource both our clubs and see how we fare. If both teams do well and gain promotion to the topflight league, then we will be happy.
“Obviously, we will let both play in the top-tier league if they earn promotion. What we want at the day is to see communities getting empowered and entertained through football.”
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