Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
SCOTT SAKUPWANYA spoke on the “Scottland Magazine Show” with a glow that told its own story.
The man who built the club from an idea to a national force was still trying to take in what the whole country had watched unfold, a season that rose like a tide and swept everyone along with it.
His voice carried pride, gratitude, little disbelief and the warmth of someone who knows he witnessed something rare.
He began by talking about the trophy itself, the gleaming crown that now sits in the Scottland cabinet.
“I want to thank the PSL (Premier Soccer League) and the sponsors, Castle,” he said, his tone gentle.
“They gave us a beautiful trophy. People complained about it earlier in the season, but the PSL didn’t panic. They knew what they were doing.”
He paused, letting the weight of the moment sit.
“It’s not easy to be here straight from Division One,” he said quietly.
The journey still moves him.
Scott is a man who hates being second; he made that clear with a small smile that said he meant every word.
“I don’t want to be number two in anything I do,” he said. “In the Premiership, it was an honour to win. To be honest, I expected us to finish around number five,” he said.
He leaned back, remembering those early weeks, when survival felt like a fair target.
“We came into the league to learn. But if you go hunting for rabbits and meet a bigger animal, you don’t leave it. You go for it,” said Scott.
He laughed softly.
“That’s what happened. We came across the big one. And we won.”
He did not take the credit. He never does.
“I want to thank the whole team,” he said. “Our supporters, our sponsors. We brought the trophy home. All glory to God. He saw it fit that we win.”
What comes next is what thrilled him most.
The title was not just for the club. It belonged to the fans scattered across the country, the ones who carried the dream long before the team caught fire.
And Scott wants the trophy to touch every corner of Zimbabwe, not just Harare.
“As part of the celebrations, we’re going to announce dates for our trip to Manicaland,” he said. “We want to go with all the players and the trophy.”
He grinned at the mention of the now-famous bus.
“You saw pictures of the open-top bus we bought. Someone saw it at the border and started sending photos everywhere,” said Scott.
He shook his head, amused.
“But we want that bus to move around the whole country. We want fans to interact with the players and get their pictures with the trophy,” said Scott.
In those moments you could see how much he values those supporters. The open-top bus is not a gimmick. It is a promise. A moving thank you card. A symbol of a team that wants to celebrate with its people, not in front of them.
But Scottland is not done building. If anything, the league title sharpened their hunger.
Scott did not shy away from the mistakes of last season, and he admitted the club learned some painful lessons about recruitment.
“Last year we rushed,” he said. “We just asked ourselves: Who are the best players at Dynamos? And we bought them. Who are the best at Highlanders? And we bought them. Who are the best at CAPS United? And we took them.”
He shook his head.
“We ended up with too many players. It became difficult for the coaches to choose. You want time with the players, and we didn’t have that,” he said.
This time, he wants a different approach.
“We are preparing again,” he said. “And we promise fireworks. Next year you will see more juniors in our team. We now know the tactics. We know how to go about it.”
What stood out in that interview was not the talk about transfers or even the trophy.
It was the feeling that Scottland’s story is just beginning. The title wasn’t the end of the journey. It was a doorway.
Scott spoke like a man who has tasted something he wants to savour again and again, like someone who wants a whole nation to feel the glow of their triumph.
And like a leader who now understands the responsibility that comes with winning.
Scottland did not just claim a championship. They captured imaginations. They carried hope. They gave the league a new rhythm, a new noise, a new conversation.
Listening to Scott, you walked away with a simple truth: the crown was not the peak. It was the spark. And the next chapter might be even brighter.
