CHIREDZI Football Club midfielder Louis Matawu has said they will not be pushovers in their 2014 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League debut season.
KENNETH NYANGANI
The former Motor Action player was instrumental last year when he helped the Lowveld-based side gain Premiership promotion.
This year, it seems coach Moses Chunga, who is working tirelessly to tie down a formidable side that will be a force to reckon with in the top-flight this season, is expected to build his side around the likes of his skipper Fidelis Mangezi, Norman Maroto, Bernard Benesi, Rowen Nenzou and Matawu.
In an interview with NewsDay Sport at the weekend, Matawu said they were going to sacrifice for the cause of the Chiredzi community and believes that they will not just play football to make numbers.
“Of course there might be problems, but all this is coming to an end. We are here to play for our team. We helped the side gain promotion last season and we are ready to fight in the Premier League,” he said.
“I can understand that some of the players who were leaving the club are now returning. The coach is also trying new combinations in the friendly matches we are playing and l think everything is moving smoothly,” he added.
Chunga, however, also told this publication during the weekend that some former Hippo Valley executive members were working round the clock to destabilise his new side. Players whom the gaffer believes had already been influenced to leave the club are goalkeeper Simon Kafitire, midfielders Sam Murimbo, Kenny Mageja and defender Tawanda Mpungu.
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“There are some people who are trying to destabilise the team. We should clear out our own players. I mean some former executive members of Hippo Valley are influencing our players to leave the club so that our team will be weak this season. They are even driving them to Triangle, so that they can join them, but some of them have since apologised and returned to the club,” he said.
Chunga worked with the now defunct Hippo Valley executive members last year in the Eastern Region Division One Football league.
But all the problems arose when the team was promoted into the PSL the same year, when the success story took a twist after the club’s principal sponsors Tongaat Hulett disbanded the team, arguing that they were not able to sponsor two Premiership teams.
