Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube, Zimpapers Sports Hub
AFTER failing trials at Hwange FC in the mid-1990s, Tichaona Mufandaedza ganged up with friends in Hwange’s Lwendulu suburb to form Blackrock FC.
In their 30th anniversary, they were promoted to the Zifa Southern Region Division One League early this year.
Mufandaedza says playing at this level and later on be in a position to face Hwange is a big achievement.
“I failed trials at Hwange and then thought of forming a team and among the first guys I had was Phibion Magare and many others passed through but among the better-known ones is Gerald ‘Choto’ Ndlovu, the former Hwange captain.
“To us it means a lot to have gone this far. It is a big achievement to be playing against Hwange a team so many of us wanted to play for and eventually got to follow,” said Mufandaedza who was at one time manager of Chipangano.
The two teams meet tomorrow in a Zifa Southern Region Hwange derby. It is a derby with a difference. All along, teams that have been promoted to Division One from the town have been from Lwendulu and Makwika, but this one is now based at Sinderella, a quiet suburb on the highway to Victoria Falls.
Not many stars have emerged from the suburb, as the football bug tends to be at the other suburbs, which have football pitches.
The derby in Division One has for the better part of the last 30 years been between Hwange and ZPC (Hwange) whenever the former has been relegated.
Using mainly local boys, Blackrock have stolen the thunder from their more illustrious opponents, who are three-time Castle Cup winners. They have been playing to great crowds and have given decent performances with a team that is well drilled in defence but shy in attack under former Highlanders, Monomotapa, TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe Saints midfielder, Mthulisi Maphosa.
Hwange with 27 points, four adrift of Nkayi United are still a favourite for the title.
Blackrock are sixth on the table with 23 points and have played a game lesser and are still within their estimates of making sure they survive relegation this year.
Leaders Nkayi who have 31 points are away to struggling Victoria Falls Herentals who are 12th with 18 points.
Fourth-placed Bulawayo Warriors and Mainline, two teams that have of late been posting good results will battle it out at Plumtree’s Dingumuzi Stadium as they seek a top four slot in the race.
Fixtures
Ajax Hotspurs vs Talen Vision (White City B)
Blackrock vs Hwange (Sinderella)
Zebra Revolution vs Nust (White City B)
Megawatt vs Bosso 90 (Chakona)
Mainline vs Bulawayo Warriors (Dingumuzi)
Imbizo vs Eagle Life (Lookout Masuku Barracks)
Casmyn vs Bulawayo City (Postponed)
Jordan vs Bulawayo Chiefs (Filabusi)
Victoria Falls Herentals vs Nkayi United (Chinotimba)
League Table
Team P W D L F A Pts
Nkayi United 14 9 4 1 22 6 31
Bulawayo Chiefs 14 9 3 2 25 6 30
Hwange FC 14 8 3 3 23 8 27
Bulawayo Warriors 14 7 3 4 19 20 24
Mainline 14 7 3 4 19 20 24
Blackrock 13 7 2 4 11 5 23
Bosso 90 14 6 3 5 12 14 21
Talen Vision 14 5 4 5 15 9 19
Casmyn 13 6 1 6 13 11 19
Bulawayo City 14 5 4 5 15 14 19
Megawatt 14 5 4 5 6 8 19
Vic Falls City 14 4 6 4 9 7 18
Eagle Life 14 5 3 6 11 15 18
Imbizo 14 4 4 6 10 16 16
Zebra Revolution 14 5 1 8 15 28 16
Jordan 14 2 3 9 7 22 9
Ajax Hotspurs 14 2 2 10 6 23 8
Nust 14 1 3 10 2 18 6
