adminRicky Zililo Sports Reporter
ZIFA Southern Region Division One Soccer League action returns to the resort town of Victoria Falls following the promotion of Trumus Warriors who won the Zifa Matabeleland North Division Two championship. In the just ended season, Mkhosana FC of Victoria Falls withdrew from the Zifa Southern Region Division One Soccer League with several games to spare after facing financial challenges which meant they could not afford to pay their players, referees, book the stadium or travel for away matches.
Trumus Warriors finished at the top of the competitive Zifa Matabeleland North Division Two Soccer League witah 65 points from 30 outings.
However, they did not play their last match of the season on Saturday as they walked over their opponents Iwisa who only arrived at the match venue an hour after the scheduled kick off.
The resort town club was promoted with their runners-up Kabwe Warriors of Makwika Village in Hwange who finished a point behind.
Trumus Warriors and Kabwe Warriors now join Old Nic Mine and Portland Cement who were promoted from the Zifa Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Division Two Soccer League.
In a telephone interview from Victoria Falls, Trumus Warriors chairman Chivongodze Dzingwe was happy with his team’s feat.
“Honestly when we registered at the beginning of the year we never thought that we were going to get promoted this season as our hopes
were to stabilise in our first year and then go for the championship next year.
“The boys did well and pushed for it and we are happy that Victoria Falls will have a club competing for a Premiership spot and that can be achieved if we unite as the businesspeople and the Victoria Falls community.
“Right now we are busy trying to make sure that we lure sponsors so that we are financially stable and avoid the past mistakes of pulling out of the league during the season,” said Dzingwe.
They are going to play their matches at Chinotimba Stadium and believe that the resort town has a number of talented players that can hold their own in more competitive leagues.
Kabwe Warriors should have ended the season at the top of the log but were docked three points for using an ineligible player.
Francis Mwinga, the Kabwe warriors’ technical director said their challenge now is to get sponsorship to sustain the club.
“We are happy that we have been promoted but at the same time our celebrations have been short-lived as we have to look for sponsorship. Without adequate funding it will be difficult to survive in the Zifa Southern region Division One Soccer league and we appeal for assistance from the business community,” said Mwinga.
In their last game of the season, Kabwe who were tied on 64 points with third placed Amagagasi of Victoria Falls but had a superior goal difference. They beat Kamandama Celtics 3-0.
The Zifa Matabeleland North chairman Denis Tshuma wished the two clubs well in the Zifa Southern Region Division One League.
“Our hope is that they go there to compete to stay or even go further to the Premiership. We had a flawless season and it is our hope that these two clubs assemble competitive sides that will be able to stand the heat,” Tshuma said.
Results
Saturday: Zambezi Lions 7, Ingagula 0; Blackrock 3, Baobab Rovers 0; Motomoto 3, Brazil 0; Trumus Warriors 3, Iwisa 0; Kabwe Warriors 3, Kamandama Celtics 0; ZRP Hwange 2, Classic Luyando 2; Amagagasi 4, Hwange Under-17 1; Corinthians 0, Prison Eagles 1
Log Standing
P W D L F A Pts
Trumus Warriors 30 19 7 3 73 23 65
**Kabwe Warriors 30 21 4 5 60 24 64
Amagagasi 30 19 7 4 59 28 64
Baobab Rovers 30 17 7 6 44 17 58
Hwange Under-17 30 16 7 7 44 29 55
ZRP Hwange 30 14 9 7 58 49 51
Blackrock 30 14 7 9 51 33 49
*Prison Eagles 30 14 4 12 47 44 43
Moto Moto 30 10 10 10 34 31 40
Classic Luyando 30 8 11 11 38 45 35
Ingagula 30 8 10 12 40 59 34
Corinthians 30 9 3 18 26 59 30
Iwisa 30 7 4 19 31 52 25
Zambezi Lions 30 5 8 17 25 44 23
Brazil 30 3 7 20 22 52 16
Kamandama Celtic 30 0 4 26 14 76 4
*Three points deducted for using player with a red card
**Three points deducted for using a player double registered.
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