Online Reporter
Curtworth Masango
Zimpapers Sports Hub
IN a world where football fairy tales often fade before they flourish, Sheasham FC’s story is still being written, and it is the kind you would not just flip past.
What started as a passion project on a dusty patch of land in Shurugwi in the Midlands province has evolved into one of Zimbabwean football’s most inspiring journeys. Once a team of enthusiastic amateurs in mismatched kits, Sheasham are now back in the hunt for a return to the top-flight, chasing glory in the Central Region Soccer League (CRSL).
The journey began in 2016 when the club, then known as Shurugwi Heights, played in the Area Zone leagues. By 2018, they had climbed into Division One, and five years later, they broke into the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League. Their debut season in the top-flight was short-lived; they were relegated in 2023, but their resolve remains as fierce as ever.
It is not just a football story. It is a reminder of what belief, unity and grit can build from almost nothing.
A now-iconic photo taken in 2016 tells it best. On a sun-scorched field in Shurugwi, a group of players pose in worn Kaizer Chiefs replica jerseys. There is dust on their boots, hunger in their eyes and hope in their hearts.
Among them stands Happy Dziva, a centre striker at the time, now the club’s secretary-general. He remembers that photo and everything it stands for.
“We had nothing, but passion,” he says. “It was a makeshift ground that we had made ourselves in Shurugwi at a housing project that Sheasham was developing, named Shurugwi Heights. “That’s how we adopted the name. It was later changed when we gained promotion to Division One.”
Dziva’s evolution from player to administrator has been key to Sheasham’s rise.
He brought his on-field experience into the boardroom, helping steer the club from the grassroots to professionalism.
“When I look at that picture, I see dreams that refuse to die,” he says. “We were unknown, but we believed in each other. And now, here the club is.”
And right now, the club is flying.
Sheasham lead the CRSL standings with 42 points, six clear of second-placed Hardrock. Both sides are tipped as promotion favourites, and whispers in local football circles suggest that whichever team misses out might buy a Premier League franchise to get there anyway.
For Sheasham, though, the focus is inward.
“We are very much satisfied with the team’s performance so far,” says club chairperson Reginald Chidavanyika.
“They are up to the targets we agreed before the season. We’re not in a race with any other team, just focused on meeting our own goals. The environment of unity, stability and togetherness bodes well for the club’s aspirations. If we get promoted, it would be a bonus. We’re not worried about what other teams are doing.
“We embrace competition. It’s good for CRSL to have many competitive teams.”
Whether they win promotion or not, Sheasham have already done what many thought impossible.
From a dust-choked field in Shurugwi to the brink of elite football, this is one Cinderella story that refuses to lose its magic.
Online Reporter