adminRay Bande Senior Sports Reporter
DONGO Sawmills’ sole owner and financier Francis Dongo, who is confident of winning the league title, has assured soccer fans in Rusape that his beloved football project will not shift base upon gaining Premiership promotion. Vengere Stadium in Rusape has been Dongo Sawmills’ adopted home since the start of the 2014 season and the team owner believes his club will be the first to bring domestic top-flight league action to the docile Makoni District capital.
Also known as Buffaloes Junior, owing to their strong links with the Premiership army side Buffaloes, Dongo Sawmills are locked in a bitter fight for the 2014 Zifa Eastern Region Division One League title.
In MatchDay 21 during last weekend, bustling striker Vincent Makaha scored the all-important goal that ensured Dongo collect three points away against Surrey, while log leaders Mutare City Rovers also bagged maximum points, thanks to a convincing 3-0 triumph over Mutare Polytechnic at Sakubva.
With eight league matches remaining before the curtain comes down on the 2014 season and only two points separating Dongo Sawmills and log leaders Mutare City Rovers at the helm of the table, there is surely every reason for the young Nyanga entrepreneur to believe that his team can win the title.
“I am more than confident that we will win the league title. Yes, it will not be an easy task but I strongly believe that we are equal to the task.
“I know there are some tricky fixtures among the remaining eight matches, but we will aim at continuing to collect maximum points with each passing match.
“The match against City Rovers in Rusape is likely to be the decider, but I know we will beat them in Rusape. There is no way that Mutare City will prevail in Vengere. No. That does not mean that we do not have respect for all other teams that we are going to play but it is a fact that the match against City Rovers in Week 27 will have a huge bearing on the race for the title,” said Dongo in a telephone interview from his Nyanga base.
Dongo the man, let alone the team, are not new to Premiership promotion battles.
Rewind three years back, the Nyanga-based businessman, who supports the local game of football with a passion, was also part of stakeholders who pooled the little resources available to win Premiership promotion for Mutare army side Buffaloes.
That Dongo Sawmills coach Shadreck “Father” Mugurasave was also the Buffaloes coach when the team gained promotion into the top flight league, speaks volumes of the experience in Premiership promotional battles abound in the Rusape side.
Added to that, Dongo will also draw confidence in that free-scoring striker Evans “Morocco” Chikwaikwai is now on their books and the former soccer star of the year has been hitting the nets almost regularly.
Dongo said the team would continue using Vengere Stadium as its home ground when it gets promoted into the Premiership.
“There are no two ways about that. This project is meant for people of Rusape. We have made a deliberate move to give the people of Rusape sports entertainment and we are not going back on that. In fact, our hope is that the people of Rusape will identify with the club and take it as their own.
“We will be glad if, in future, all stakeholders will come together and see how best they can add value to this project. It is their project and it deserves their support,” said Dongo.
It is game on in the race for the title and Dongo will entertain lowly Chivhu Stars at Vengere Stadium, while Rovers will engage Tenax in a tricky derby that has the potential to spoil the party for Kenny “Bokande’ Kachara’s squad.
Match day 22 results:
Masvingo United 3, Black Eagles 0; FC Three Leaves 2, Mwenezana 1; Renco Mine v Ruwa (postponed); Mutare Poly 0, Mutare City 3; Tenax v Gutu (postponed); Gaza Gunners 0, Eastern Stars 1; Surrey 0, Dongo Sawmills 1; Chivhu Stars 0, ZRP Masvingo 0:
Fixtures:
Mutare City Rovers v Tenax; Ruwa United v Mutare Poly; Mwenezana v Renco Mine; Masvingo United v FC Three Leaves; Dongo Sawmills v Chivhu Stars; Eastern v Surrey; Gutu v Gaza Gunners; Black Eagles v ZRP Masvingo.
Online Reporter