Masimirembwa joins Gunners

Cuthbert Chitima yesterday said Gunners, who have adopted Mabvuku as their home, decided to take on board the businessman because of his close connections with the community.
Gunners play their home games at Lafarge and have enjoyed the warm support of the people in Mabvuku.
Chitima said their association with Masimirembwa was hinged on the club’s development policy that seeks to tap talent from the grassroots, with a long term aim to establish a football academy in the suburb.
Already the businessman, who is also chairman of the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation and the Zimbabwe Institute of Legal Studies, runs the Godwills Masimirembwa Foundation which helps the less privileged of the society in Mabvuku.
“Our aim is to become community team in Mabvuku and I believe Mr. Masimirembwa is the ideal man to partner us in our objectives because of his close links with the people.
“Our aim is to establish an academy in Mabvuku to work with the youth and assisting development in the community.
“I am quite positive that in the next two to three years we would have done much to become one of the biggest clubs in Zimbabwe,” said Chitima.
The patron’s main role is to assist the club in their fund-raising activities to finance their development programmes and to source funds for the payment of the players, coaches and other football staff members.
Masimirembwa pledged his support to Gunners and said he will also consider sourcing scholarships for promising talents in the community to prop up Gunners’ youth policy.
“I am very humbled to be bestowed such honour as patron of Gunners Football Club. What makes me particularly happy is the fact that we share the same passion for developing the youth.
“I promise that I will commit myself in assisting the club to raise funds and in making sure that players and coaches are well-remunerated so that Gunners would be able to repeat the feat of 2009 when they won the league championship,” he said.
Gunners will host CAPS United at Lafarge on Sunday seeking to shore up a campaign that started on a slow note.
Coach George Madira is aware of the magnitude of the task at hand after managing only four points in their opening four games.
There is more pressure, however, on Blue Rangers and debutants Quelaton who are the only teams yet to secure a point at this stage.
Rangers, who returned a severely debilitated side this season after losing their sponsorship from Blue Ribbon Foods, will be away to Motor Action tomorrow.
Coach Wishes Shiridzinomwa will be scratching his head to find the winning formula after losing the three games in succession.
Quelaton have already sacked their coach Thulani Sibanda after suffering four defeats and will be looking for redemption when they visit fellow debutants Harare City at Gwanzura tomorrow.
The task has now been left in the hands of assistant coach Farai Sibanda.
Harare City will be without coach Bigboy Mawiwi, who is attending a coaching course in Harare, but the side is confident of positive results.
The City Fathers have so far managed to avoid defeat in the first four games after drawing three times and recording one victory over Gunners.
Fixtures
Tomorrow
Black Mambas v Monomotapa (Morris Depot), Chicken Inn v F C Platinum (Luveve), Motor Action v Blue Rangers (Motor Action Sports Club), Harare City v Quelaton (Gwanzura)
Sunday
Gunners v CAPS United, (La Farge), Shabanie Mine v Hardbody (Maglas), Hwange v Buffaloes (Colliery),
Postponed
Highlanders v Dynamos FC (Barbourfields).