Online Reporter
Curtworth Masango
Zimpapers Sports Hub
BLACK Rhinos have shut the exit doors and drawn a line under the last two years, making continuity their promotion gamble in a Northern Region Soccer League season that starts on February 28 and runs through November.
Relegated from the Premier League in 2023, the army side watched promotion slip away twice, first as Scottland went up in 2024, then as AGAMA edged the race in 2025. The failures hardened a resolve inside the camp rather than trigger a clear out. This time, the club will not release a single player from last season’s registered 30-man squad. Long term contracts are already in place, and the executive has decided stability beats another rebuild.
“We don’t have anything new for our squad. We are not losing any player,” said chairman Wellington Mabiginye. “The team that took part in the 2024 season was totally different from the one we had last season. Now we are going to have continuity.”
For a club that changed shape and personnel after relegation, the decision marks a break from recent habits. Rhinos believe the familiarity built over 2025 gives them a tactical base they did not have in the two failed promotion bids.
“From the executive side we can assure you that stability in the squad is our key factor,” Mabiginye said.
“With stability within our camp we can match our opponents tactically.”The approach does not mean a closed shop. The club will add players, but only sparingly. Mabiginye confirmed there will be no more than four signings, all driven by the technical team rather than market noise.
“We are not going to make any wholesale changes, only additions of not more than four players, depending on the coaches’ recommendations,” he said.
Those names will emerge when official preseason training begins on January 20. By then, the league has already done its part. Fixtures are out early, a shift that has forced clubs to plan sooner and spend smarter.
The Northern Region Soccer League now carries the MCM Estates title and is under new leadership with Sweeney Mushonga at the helm.
Mushonga was part of the previous board led by Martin Kweza, and his tenure opened with the unveiling of the new sponsor and an early fixtures release that signalled a firmer administrative hand.
Rhinos are also conscious of the money gap. Rivals such as N’ombeyawora carry deeper pockets and louder backing. The army side’s response is not to chase wages they cannot sustain, but to sharpen incentives.
“The club has lined up incentives for the team,” Mabiginye said. “They are designed to push performance, especially when we face teams with more resources.”
Player registration is another area Rhinos want nailed down early. Late paperwork and rushed clearances have hurt campaigns before. The club says that will not be repeated.
“Within a week of our pre-season I believe we would already have registered the bulk of our squad,” Mabiginye said.
“We understand how important registration is and we have no worries because most of our players are already on our books.”
