NEWLY-promoted Premier Soccer League side Yadah Football Club will have a pre-season training camp in South Africa where they plan to play some of that country’s football giants, as the ambitious side intensifies their preparations for the upcoming season.
BY HENRY MHARA
The team, owned by Walter Magaya of Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries, has been holding trials in the past few weeks as they seek to assemble a strong squad to challenge for honours in their debut campaign Yesterday they played a friendly match against Division One side Mushowani Stars, which they comfortably won 4-1.
Club chief executive officer Admire Mango yesterday said they were done with the process of assembling the squad, and were going into the next stage of their preparations for the season, which is set to kick-off in the first week of April.
They have set their sights on playing Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns.
“We are happy with the squad that we have assembled and serious preparations for the season will now start. We are planning to go to South Africa for our pre-season camp. We have opened negotiations with Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns. Those are the teams that we are targeting. We are a very ambitious club and we want to gauge ourselves against some of the best clubs in the continent. We are just hoping that the matches will materialise,” Mango said.
The team had initially planned to tour the Democratic Republic of Congo, but the political instability in that country hindered their plans.
“We are following the situation closely, and if it improves, we might still go there. We want to get the best possible preparations and we are grateful that our sponsor, Prophet Walter Magaya, is providing us with everything that we want. The players are currently camped at a hotel, and that is very good for team bonding,” Mango said.
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The club yesterday announced the team’s structure in line with Confederation of African Football club licencing.
Magaya is the club president and will double up as the team’s technical director, while Mango was named chief executive officer.
Lawyer Everson Chatambudza is the board chairperson, Steven Chikotora is the secretary-general, while Prosper Chari is the treasurer.
Paul Zimbulani is a board member.
The team is coached by Jairosi Tapera, who replaced Kuda Masaraure. He will be assisted by Elliot Matsika and Noah Kapini. Itai Chiwara is the goalkeepers’ coach and Munyaradzi Sinani is the team manager.
