Division One football heads for the rural areas tomorrow as former Premiership team Zimbabwe Saints travel to Tsholotsho for their second Zifa Southern Region league match against newly-promoted Tsholotsho FC. Chikwata last week bagged three points without kicking a ball after Victoria Falls-based Sao Paulo failed to pitch up for their match in Bulawayo.
They have retained senior players Chipo Tsodzo, Tapela “Cyclone” Ngwenya and Joel Nyama, who last year featured in the country’s top-flight football league. Coach Admore Sibanda yesterday said they were ready for their campaign for a return to the Premiership.
“We are ready for Tsholotsho and the fight is on for a return to the Premier Soccer League,” Sibanda said. Tsholotsho FC coach Lizwe Sweswe, who last week collected maximum points after beating Makhandeni Pirates 1-0, said the first games were very important as they usually have a bearing on the league’s outcome.
These are our first games and we take them very seriously. The confidence is there after winning the first game and playing at home tomorrow will be good for us as we must establish Tsholotsho as our slaughter-house,” Sweswe said.Tsholotsho won the Zifa Bulawayo Metropolitan Division Two league to venture into the Division One competition. They have ex-Bantu Rovers’ Moreblessing Nyokanhete and former Zifa Central Region Division One Hardbody’s Kudzanai Machazane in their fold.
Railstars, who last week lost their sponsorship from the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) travel to Fairbridge for a date with police team Black Boots.Sources said Railstars had secured outside sponsorship and Fanuel Masikati, NRZ’s public relations manager yesterday only said there were possibilities of finding sponsorship, but the management’s position was they had withdrawn funding. Hwange Juniors host ZPC Hwange in the coal mining town while Projects travel to How Mine. Power Cosmos take on Sao Paulo in Victoria Falls.
Ntabazinduna entertain Rufaro Rovers of Hwange. Bulawayo Chiefs, who are using FC Windermere’s franchise, host New West City in Plumtree. Tomorrow, Emakhandeni Pirates travel to Hwange where they clash with Mpumalanga.
