Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
AT a time when there is uncertainty over the start of Zimbabwe’s football season, veteran Mosi Rovers FC midfielder Blessing Sande remains hopeful of competing for the Premiership ticket.
The Victoria Falls-based side wants to be the first club from the resort town to win a Premiership slot.
At the beginning of the year, Mosi Rovers brought on board former Highlanders goalkeeper Wellington Muuya (24)as they prepared for what was expected to be a highly competitive season before Covid-19 derailed all plans.
Mosi Rovers also added the quartet of defensive midfielder Thabani Goredema, winger Physwell Madhazi, attacking midfielder Christopher Samakweri and striker Darryl Nyandoro, who led Bulawayo City to the 2019 Southern Region Division One League title.
They also added anchorman Takunda Muzuva, a 2017 championship winner with Bulawayo Chiefs as well as former Bantu Rovers striker McCarthy Dube.
Sande, who clearly misses being in action, took to social media to express his views.
“Covid-19 has been a huge blow to the world and has not spared Mosi Rovers and soccer lovers of the Victoria Falls community. We had a great pre-season compared to previous years and had set high goals to achieve this year. All our plans were put on pause, but it is not too late. Our spirits are still high and the dream is still there. We await the commencement of the season and the right time to unveil what we have in store for the journey to the highest level of football in Zimbabwe,” said Sande, a former Black Rhinos player.
The Victoria Falls-based Zifa Southern Region Division One side has also lined up a series of potential alternative sponsors to pursue after the Covid-19 pandemic grounded the tourism industry, which bankrolls the team.
Being a community club in Victoria Falls, Mosi Rovers embarked on a massive membership drive late last year targeting the tourism community.
The club chairman Martin Mhlanga said they had managed to get a significant number of members, who had started paying subscriptions, but all stopped as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown casting doubt on the club’s future sources of funding.
Mhlanga said efforts are being made to identify alternative sources of sponsorship in preparation for the new season.
“We have a challenge with payment of subs as the majority of members are people in the tourism industry, which has been drastically affected. We are working tirelessly to find alternative funding to prepare ourselves for the new season,” Mhlanga told Chronicle Sport.
When the season resumes, Mosi Rovers should expect tough competition from clubs like Talen Vision, who were busy on the market, former Premiership side Hwange, who will be out for a quick return to the topflight.
Meanwhile, Zifa Southern Region chairman Andrew Tapela has urged clubs to organise training programmes for their players so that they are not found wanting when action resumes.
“We stand guided by what Zifa and the powers that be tell us about the league. However, this does not mean clubs must totally shutdown. Their players must be training personally to keep fit because you never know what will happen,” said Tapela. — @ZililoR
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