adminMidlands Correspondent
THE Zifa Central Soccer League (CSL) could be thrown into turmoil if Habane Sharks’ benefactor Baron Dube carries through his threat to withdraw sponsorship from the Esigodini-based outfit.
Dube said he was walking away from the club he established two seasons ago citing alleged sabotage by the Esigodini community, which he accused of being ungrateful.
Sharks failed to fulfil their home league match against Kwekwe Sables at the weekend. Dube initially claimed that he was away, but opened up yesterday about reasons for his refusal to pay the team’s expenses for the aborted match.
He said despite being the first to bring Division One football to Esigodini, members of the community had dissuaded the local council from renovating Mpelele Stadium for Sharks’ use, arguing that they could not support an individually-owned team.
“There is a problem with certain elements in the community who do not want to see development. Firstly, when I asked council to
renovate the stadium, some people went to council and said they cannot renovate the stadium to support an individually-owned club,” said Dube.
“Secondly when I tried to renovate it by myself, they said I must not invest in the stadium because it belongs to Habane Pirates, a newly formed club. I have invested a lot in the community and now regionalism is coming into play with some saying my roots are in Filabusi and I should invest in football there,” an emotional Dube said.
Dube also blamed Sharks’ 0-5 home mauling by ZRP Gwanda in their first match of the season on some members of the community, saying they offered players alcohol just before the match.
“I cannot take this idiosyncratic behaviour anymore where you have players that are drunkards, who train when they feel like it and drink before a crucial match. I had brought quality players to the team, but this was shot down by people saying they want local players and this is how they repay me.”
Dube said he would rather join another club outside Esigodini because of his passion for football.
Should Dube pull the plug on his Sharks’ sponsorship, that would force the CSL to revert to a 16-team league after Mvuma-based NM Academy pulled out of the league last week.
derick.khumalo