‘We want Saints to play football’

LOVEJOY Mugadza who is in the steering committee of former players trying to revive Zimbabwe Saints on the field of play, has disclosed they will continue with registering the team in Division Two.

Mugadza vowed that they as former players would not be embroiled in petty politics.

Fissures emerged on Monday with board of trustees chairman Vincent Pamire saying the annual general meeting called two weeks ago and set for Sunday was a nullity. He argued that Saints did not have a chief executive officer and in the executive others had left, leaving just the interim chairman Ishmael Kaguru.

Pamire also said Chikwata had no membership at all and that operations at the club ceased as soon as the team was fired from Zifa leaving the trustees to manage and keep, clubhouse, legacy, name and history in their hands.

Chief executive officer Lloyd Munhanga insisted there was a membership register from 2003 and that membership was on-going with one John Homera having bought membership in recent times from the US.

Pamire was quick to scoff at that.

“The club has no treasurer, who is collecting the money?” asked Pamire.

Munhanga referred Zimpapers Sports Hub to Gibson Homela who appears in another set of papers as trustee alongside Pamire and the late Joseph Rusike.

Homela confirmed the meeting.

Mugadza said as former players, they were happy to see Zimbabwe Saints play football.

“We want the team to play in the Bulawayo Province Division Two League. Politics is not ours. We are about football and nothing else,” said Mugadza a former player who started off his career as a junior in the late 1970s.

He had a brief spell at Highlanders and proceeded to play Super League football with Black Aces before winding his career at Zimbabwe Saints in the 1990s.

Mugadza last month met Saints board of trustees boss Vincent Pamire who agreed to the players’ request to use the Zimbabwe Saints name in their endeavours.

He said former footballers, the legacy that they wanted to retain was on the field.

“We will not be part of those who think Saints is about the Clubhouse at Queens Park East.

“Those on the clubhouse issue are not among us. We are former players and we believe to retain and perpetuate the team’s legacy, we have to have a team playing in the Zifa structures.

“As it is Zimbabwe Saints will play in Division Two. There is so many of us former players with the love and desire to see the name Zimbabwe Saints fly high on the soccer pitch,” said Mugadza.

The former leftback and centreback said they will take their time in Division Two and press ahead after five years. He said in those five years they want to see growth in the football business, which is development of quality players.

“We will not be in a hurry to play Division One football or Premiership. After five years we will evaluate our growth in terms of resources and play quality before we decide which direction to take. For starters we are not worried about Division One or Premiership football,” said Mugadza.

He said he had sounded out former players like the legendary duo of Ebson ‘Sugar’ Muguyo and Ephraim Chawanda who had given the idea the nod.

“I have spoken to legends Sugar Muguyo and Chawanda, both have given the idea the nod. They want it to happen and my colleagues here in the

UK have welcomed the proposal and are on board to support the revival of Saints in Division Two,” said Mugadza.

Last year Zimbabwe Saints alongside Makhandeni Pirates and Mountain Climbers were expelled from the Zifa Southern Region League for failing to pay affiliation fees and match day expenses.