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Tadious Manyepo, in MHONDORO-NGEZI
CASTLE Lager Premier Soccer League champions Ngezi Platinum Stars are putting in place a solid plan to develop their Baobab Stadium to ensure that they play the CAF Champions League at their home turf.
The Mhondoro miners will represent the country in the premium continental club competition from August next year.
But they need to be compliant to the Confederation of African Football requirements for them to be allowed to play in the African Safari.
That includes having a women’s team, which they are already assembling.
They will also need a stadium to stage their home games given that all the grounds in this country are currently banned from hosting international games by CAF.
The platinum miners are aware of that and yesterday their administration revealed that plans were underway to address those concerns.
Speaking after their trophy parade across Mashonaland West yesterday, Ngezi Platinum Stars vice-president Administration and Commercial Wadzanayi Mutsakanyi said his board will deliberate on the rehabilitation of Baobab Stadium.
“What we want is to have our CAF Champions League games played at Baobab Stadium,” said Mutsakanyi.
“So in the soonest possible time, we will sit as a board and look into that area.
“There is positivity from the top and it looks like we will obviously have a budget in place to re-develop our Baobab Stadium.
“There are so many areas that need to be looked into for us to be able to host these CAF Champions League games in Mhondoro.
“We are determined to have the games here and we will work very hard to try and be compliant.
“There is also the issue of the women’s football team. At the moment, we don’t have a team but we have already started assembling one which we will be able to register in a professional league soon”.
Ngezi Platinum Stars last played in the continental competitions in 2017 when they represented the country in the CAF Confederation Cup after winning the Chibuku Super Cup the previous year.
They hosted their opponents at the National Sports Stadium then, as Baobab Stadium did not meet the required standards.
And Mutsakanyi hinted that when the worse comes to the worst, they will play their part to ensure that they play home games in Zimbabwe by helping in the rehabilitation of identified stadiums to meet standards.
Yesterday’s trophy parade saw players, technical team and fans parading in Norton, Chegutu, Selous and Kadoma.
People lined up the streets as they cheered their heroes who brought the championship to Mashonaland West for the first time.
Ngezi Platinum Stars also won the league’s most disciplined team accolade.
Captain Qadr Amini won the Soccer Star of the Year accolade while Takunda Benhura, who scored 13 goals, was the top goal scorer in the league.
Goalkeeper Nelson Chadya also made it in the Soccer Stars calendar.
The team will hold their annual awards this afternoon.
Online Reporter