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Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
ZIFA Southern Region Division One Soccer League champions Bulawayo Chiefs had a befitting send off into the Premiership with high ranking Zifa officials attending their last match of the season at Dingumuzi Stadium in Plumtree on Saturday.
Bulawayo Chiefs fielded fringe players who played a goalless draw against Hwange Juniors.
The Zifa vice-president Ndumiso Gumede led a delegation that included the association’s board member responsible for development John Phiri, the Zifa Southern Region chairman Morgan Dube and his executive, the Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze, Cecilia Malunga of the women’s soccer league and Matabeleland South provincial chairman Nkosi Ncube that watched the match.
Member of Parliament for Mangwe Obedingwa Mguni also attended the match.
Speaking during the medal presentation after the game, Dube urged Bulawayo Chiefs to compete well in the Premiership.
“Go to the Premiership and make sure that you compete well. Don’t go there just to make up numbers and be relegated after a season, make sure that you stay there for good,” said Dube.
He urged Bulawayo Chiefs to emulate Chicken Inn and How Mine who were promoted to the Premiership during their tenure.
“Chicken Inn are doing well and How Mine is also doing good in their first season in the elite league. We want to see more teams going into the Premiership and it is our hope that you will be able to survive the heat. You did well in our very competitive league and now that you are going to face the other big boys, make sure that you are counted among them,” said Dube.
Mashingaidze challenged the Plumtree community to rally behind Premiership bound Bulawayo Chiefs.
“Now that Plumtree has a Premiership club, people from this part of the country should embrace this club so that it survives. Without the local community’s support, this project will not be able to remain functional.
“It is our desire to see football played at all corners of Zimbabwe and we would like to see Highlanders, Dynamos, Caps United and who knows, even international matches played here in Plumtree once a stadium is constructed. Zifa wishes Bulawayo Chiefs a pleasant stay in the Premiership,” Mashingaidze said.
A jubilant Bulawayo Chiefs proprietor Lovemore Sibanda said they are ready for Premiership action.
Sibanda said it has always been his desire to have a club playing in the country’s top flight league.
“This is a dream come true for me, the Plumtree community and the Bulawayo Chiefs family. We are very happy to have achieved this feat and what we want to assure our supporters is that we are going to the PSL to stay. We are very much prepared for our next sojourn and what we are going to do is to add four or five players,” Sibanda said.
He said they have faith in their young coach Thulani Sibanda who led them into the Premiership.
The former Quelaton gaffer assembled a strong squad and has a number of players capable of withstanding the Premiership heat.
Some of the experienced players at Bulawayo Chiefs include Tedious Mugumanja, captain Lindelani Ncube, former national Under-20 midfielder Proud Zireni, Innocent Kutsanzira, Wilberforce Chiramba and Kundishora Chakanyuka.
Meanwhile, Bulawayo Chiefs are meeting the Plumtree council tomorrow to finalise their plans to construct a stadium in the border town.
“We have a meeting with the town council about the land where we can develop a stadium. If you look at Dingumuzi Stadium, there is no parking space and the cost of sprucing it up is almost the same as constructing a new facility.
“What we want to assure the Plumtree community is that come March next year when the season starts, we will play our home games here in Plumtree,” said Sibanda.
Online Reporter