adminSports Correspondent
THE Zifa Southern Region Division One league could find itself with 13 clubs amid reports that the sponsors of Old Nic Mine Football Club are unable to fund the side.According to fixtures released by the Zifa Southern Region, Old Nic Mine’s home game scheduled for yesterday against Tsholotsho was called off due to problems bedeviling the mining club.
Zifa Bulawayo Province administrator Augustine Ndlovu said the team indicated they had problems but were not specific on the issue.
However, sources at the gold miners, Old Nic revealed that management had told them low production levels were undermining their efforts to fund the team.
According to a worker at the mine situated in Bulawayo management had informed them low production levels had resulted in low income leading to the company failing to sponsor non-core activities.
He said for the last two weeks the club has been surviving on proceeds from the sale of scrap metal they got from the company.
“There are a lot of people at the company who love the football team and want to see it continue so news that they are stopping funding the team was a blow to a number of people. We do not want to see the football club go down and wish there were other means through which we can get to support the running of the team. It is one of our past times and we enjoy soccer so much,” said the worker on condition he was not named.
Sources said the mine had an output of between four and six kilogrammes of the mineral a month, but could only start assisting the club when they hit the eight kilogrammes mark and above.
Old Nic Mine FC chairman Jotam Moyo declined to shed light on the issue saying he would only be at liberty to do so on condition our correspondent told him the source of his story.
Former Premier League champions Zimbabwe Saints and Kabwe Warriors are the other two teams that have exited football due to financial constraints. Both were in the ZIFA Southern Region League.
Zifa Southern Region chairman Musa Mandaza said they could not talk about losing Old Nic Mine as the team had fully paid their affiliation and player registration fees.
Online Reporter