Vic Falls community urged to rally behind one team

Egoistic tendencies by the divided soccer family in the town have seen Division One football disappearing from their sport entertainment menu.

What the resort centre now has are Division Two sides playing in a provincial league after Kujatana,

Victoria Falls United, Savana, Sao Paulo, Intundla and A’ Zambezi were relegated to the lower rungs of Zimbabwean football due to lack of resources.

Speaking on the sidelines of his 60-team tournament whose ward qualifiers were at Matetsi in

Hwange West on Sunday, Mpofu said it was about time people swallowed their pride and put Victoria Falls and the sport at the fore.

“We have potential as Victoria Falls to one day have a Premiership team.

“Without a united front pursuing this dream, it will not be possible,” said Mpofu.

He said it was disturbing for them as part of the Victoria Falls business community to be inundated with requests for sponsorship by up to eight clubs from the town that play in the same division.

“We are part of the Victoria Falls community and Hwange West, we know what having a team in Division One or the Premiership would do to tourism in our area.

“It is however sad to note that you get requests for sponsorship from eight clubs from the town. I suppose they also approach others, but the truth is splitting of resources weakens them.

“If they have one team in Victoria Falls then we can support it and help it get promotion. It would create jobs and entertainment for the community apart from luring visitors to our town,” said Mpofu.

Mpofu is sponsoring the Bekithemba Mpofu Heroes Soccer Tournament whose finals will be held at Indlovu Centre in Jambezi this weekend.

Eight teams drawn from five wards will take part in the two-day event.

Sixty clubs drawn from Jambezi and Victoria Falls have been taking part in the tournament whose winners will receive $1 000 and a complete soccer kit.

Runners-up will take home a uniform and $500 while the third best team will get a kit and $250.

“Perhaps affording the less privileged drawn from wards is a way of giving back to the community and also a part of our organisation’s corporate responsibility to the society that has supported me in business.

“I want to play a part in bringing people together, developing talent and getting these youths pre-occupied with activities that keep their minds and bodies in the right frame,” said Mpofu.

Leticia Nyasulu, a Victoria Falls youth who had come to watch the tournament qualifiers at Matetsi, praised Mpofu for the tournament.

“It’s good for the community to have active youths in sport.

“Hidden talents can be identified through these tournaments that involve boys in soccer and girls in netball. It is a good gesture by our own from the community,” said Nyasulu.

Keven Mwinde, a co-ordinator of the netball and soccer tournament, said Mpofu had done well for the youths as he had also provided money for a poultry project in Victoria Falls.

Ruth Jubane, also of Victoria Falls, was full of praise for the tournament sponsor.

He said it was one way of supporting the fight against HIV/Aids.

“It is a way of promoting the fight against HIV/Aids that Mpofu has engaged in.

“It is good for the youths and the community, we hope some of the better players can end up playing for big teams,” said Jubane.

Mpofu said he had poured $12 000 into the tournament and had donated balls to all the 60 soccer clubs.

He said all was now set for the Indlovu finals at the weekend.