Sundaymail Editor
Sports Reporter
THEY may be Northern Region Soccer League (NRSL) debutants but Golden Eagles are capturing the imagination by setting trends in professionalism in the local game.
Not only are they smartly kitted, but they have been emulating top clubs in terms of their players’ welfare and an organised dressing room.
Coach Joel Luphahla and his men have so far matched the ambitions of their chairperson and media personality Barry Manandi with a fine start to the season as early pacesetters.
Their unique approach to Division One football has left some Premiership sides in awe.
“We try to base everything we do on global best practice. We watch and learn what is being done all over the world, what the trends are and where football is going.
“We then localise, adapt and implement, according to our local circumstances, ” Manandi told The Sunday Mail Sport.
“So, in essence, we are not doing anything new; we are just putting a uniquely Zimbabwean spin on global football norms.
“So we do everything in our power to do things the way they ought to be done, in a manner that inspires the coming generations to fall in love with the sport just as our forebears did to us.”
He said they were alive to the challenges inherent in investing in the local game.
“Challenges are ever present, and we have faced many, but in the spirit of an Eagle, we use the storms to push us higher and rise above them so we can soar without hindrances.”
He, however, said building a sustainable club business model is a challenge given the current circumstances where football is not viewed as a credible commercial partner.
Bringing in sponsorship is, therefore, considered incredibly difficult.
“We trust that with an attractive brand, supportive sponsors and a robust commercial structure, we have a good chance of successfully navigating any headwinds.
“We are building a long-term structure in every aspect of the club on a similar journey of creating a sustainable, attractive and winning game model.”
Golden Eagles’ plan is to one day play in the Champions League.
Manandi is happy with the current progress.
The team has had a blistering start to the season.
They currently sit in second place and just three points behind of log leaders Herentals, who have 16 points from six games.
Coach Luphahla acknowledged that competition in Division One was stiff.
Be he promised to fight for promotion into the Premiership.
“I can’t say we have been playing better than other teams because all the games we have played have been difficult.
“In some cases, we rode our luck; in others, we were so unlucky because the competition is so high in this NRSL.
“I don’t think any coach will be satisfied with his team when they have played only six games out of the 34.
“If we were left with six games and my team was sitting on the top of the log, I would still not be satisfied.
“It’s not going to be an easy road because if you look at the composition of these teams and their technical teams, then you get to understand how hard it will be to be crowned champions, and whoever gets to win this will surely have worked very hard,” said the 44-year-old gaffer.
For now, he can enjoy some fun in the sun with the backing of an administration that has created an environment almost similar to that he was accustomed to when he played for Cyprus side AEP Paphos.
Online Reporter