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Tobias Mandoreba Hwange Correspondent
ZIFA Matabeleland North Division Two outfit Rufaro Rovers have been booted out of the league after failing to pay for the players and technical members’ licence fees, shattering their dreams of reviving their fortunes.They are one of the oldest clubs in the province, having been formed in 1972.
The club was relegated from the Zifa Southern Region League last year.
They have since been replaced by Corinthians FC from the resort town of Victoria Falls who will join the race on Week 8.
The provincial executive committee’s treasurer Prosper Neshavi dropped the bombshell in a letter dated May 5, 2014, addressed to the team’s secretary Francis Majamanda.
“Your club, Rufaro Rovers, has been expelled from the Matabeleland North Division Two League for failing to comply with the agreement made by the clubs’ assembly members at the annual general meeting held on March 8, 2014, at Hwange Government Complex where Rufaro were represented by Richard Sakala, the club chairman. The affliation fees were paid by the sponsor, Hwange Colliery Limited through the Estates Department and your club was supposed to pay for the players’ licences, technical members’ licences and referees but up to date you have not honoured as per your agreement made on the April 4, 2014.
“Whenever your club wants to re-join Zifa again you have to clear your outstanding debts,” read part of the letter which stated that the team owed the league $606.
In an interview Sakala however lashed out at the Denis Tshuma-led committee for what he termed intolerance on the matter.
“As a club we are very disappointed in the manner this expulsion issue was handled from the beginning. Rufaro Rovers is a community team relying from the community’s benevolence, everyone is fully aware of that, hence we expected the administrators to listen to us and give us more time. The economy is tough so money is not easy to find.
“Let me say one thing though, Rufaro is a big team, we are taking a sabbatical and will return stronger one day when there is more professionalism in the running of football affairs,” fumed Sakala.
It is a sad scenario for Rovers, who achieved a milestone by gaining promotion into the Southern Region Division One League at the beginning of 2012 only to be relegated at the end of last year.
The club’s faithfuls will attribute the club’s fall from grace to the boardroom coup which saw the removal of chairman Richard Sakala and the then head coaches Dumisani Mafikeni and Misheck “Chinuna” Ncube mid last season when results were not coming.
Former player Kenny Ngulube took over the chairmanship and the subsequent appointment of former Hwange FC players Mailos Phiri and Vusumuzi Nhliziyo as coaches did not help matters as Rovers were relegated from Division One without recording a win under the duo.
At the beginning of this season, Sakala was recalled to lead the club, a move which saw Ncube returning to the technical bench to work with Lazarus Sakala as assistant coaches to former Hwange defender David Phiri.
Financial problems then mounted as Rovers failed to travel to Victoria Falls for the league opener against Victoria Falls Tigers, resulting in the Tshuma-led committee docking them three points in addition to a fine of $150.
Rovers’ tale again brings to the fore the urgent need for sponsorship in Zimbabwe’s lower football leagues.
Some of the players who have donned the Rovers jersey’ during its glory days include Brian Njovu, David Zulu, Walter Chuma, Obert Moyo, Kenny Ngulube, Philemon Nyathi, Fabian Zulu, Lucky Mwanza, Umali Phiri, David Ndlovu, Stanley Nkomo, Vitalis Kamocha, George Singongi, Method Mwanjali and the late Alberto Kaunda.
Online Reporter