Renewed optimism at Harare City

Tadious Manyepo
Sports Reporter
WITH some bit of financial stability, Harare City could have survived relegation from the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League last season.

The Municipality team, an epitome of order before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, endured never-ending boycotts from aggrieved players over salaries and allowances.

Naturally, the off-field action culminated into poor performances in the field of play and even some last-minute interventions, including the drafting in of Herbert “Jompano” Maruwa into the technical fold led by Taurai Mangwiro, was just too, little too late.

And the inevitable happened.

But the two-time Chibuku Super Cup champions are not ready to abandon the game with the Sunshine Boys back to stability and ready to reclaim their spot in the top-tier once again.

While they have parted ways with Mangwiro, who has since found a new home in Botswana, and several senior players, including Donald Mudadi, Emmanuel Ziocha, Innocent Zambezi, Takudzwa Muvirimi and Donald Dzvinyai, Harare City have assembled a strong team to help them in their lower division adventure this coming season.

They have appointed former CAPS United and GreeFuel coach, Joseph “Shabba” Takaringofa, as the man to carry their torch and the ex-Makepekepe player will be assisted by former Mushowani Stars coach, Newman Mashipe, with Julius Ndlovu (formerly with Chicken Inn) and ex-player Jimmy Tigere coming in as goalkeepers’ and fitness coaches respectively.

Takaringofa will be walking with a spring in his step after helping GreenFuel win promotion into the Premiership last season.

At GreenFuel he was one of coach Lloyd “Samaita” Mutasa’s assistants together with Albert “Dalala” Mabika when they successfully navigated the Eastern Region Division One Soccer League terrain last year.

But, somehow he, along with the entire technical team save for Mutasa himself, was released in a clean-up that also washed away close to 95 percent of the playing staff at GreenFuel.

Takaringofa has carried with him three of the players who were included in the purge, Tinotenda Majamanda, Charles Mukanhairi and Cleopas Kapupurika, to Harare City.

He has retained some of the best players who were with the Sunshine Boys last year, including Spencer Masunda, Stanley Masukuta and goalkeeper Kelvin Shangiwa.

Striker Jerry Chipangura, who was last year sentenced to 13 months in prison after being convicted of dealing in illicit drugs, could also make a rebound after The Herald saw him at the team’s training base at Motor Action Sports Club last Thursday.

Reports say he has appealed both conviction and sentence and he is looking to make a return to the team which gave him fame.

Former CAPS United strikers Amon Kambanje and Tawanda Nyamandwe, Calton Munzabwa, Evidence Tendayi, Paul Chiramba, goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya, Peace Makaha and Tinotenda Mutyambizi are some of the high profile players who have joined Harare City.

Takaringofa said his mandate at Harare City is simply to fight for re-promotion into the Premier Soccer League.

“Harare City were relegated last season and I have been given the mandate to try and fight for re-promotion. I have to change a lot of things in terms of attitude and commitment.

“I am glad the players are responding well and there is no doubting their commitment to duty, at least during training.

“We have also beefed-up the team by taking on board players whom we think will help the team achieve set targets,” said Takaringofa.

“If you look at the squad from last season, there were too many youngsters without the required experience. So we have considered all that in our recruitment, taking on board those players we think would bring the required experience.

“We are looking for nothing short of results which will enable us to bounce back into the top-tier so I think the personnel that we have taken in will be able to bring exactly that.”

Club chairman Alois Masepe reassured the players the prevailing stability is permanent.

But there is still confusion where Harare City will compete in the event that the proposed ZIFA National League fails to see the light of the day. Geographically, the Municipal side are supposed to compete in the ZIFA Northern Region Division One Soccer League but the latter seem to have disregarded them after publishing their fixtures minus Harare City last month. The argument is Harare City found their way back into the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League following their relegation in 2018 after they bought How Mine’s franchise.

The defunct Bulawayo-based team hailed from the Southern Region Soccer League.