STAKEHOLDERS at the now-defunct football giants, Zimbabwe Saints have been invited to a meeting at to plot the resuscitation the club under the banner of a private company, which was dissolved a few years ago.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
Chikwata last played in the Premier Soccer League in 2011 after they bought Chitungwiza-based Eagles’ franchise at the behest of businessman, Felix Dzumbunu following their relegation to the lower league in 2006.
Columbus Makumbe, the interim board chairman of Zimbabwe Saints (Private) Limited, yesterday confirmed the meeting to be held on Sunday, saying the days of community-based club should be over.
He did not go into detail, saying the roadmap for the revived Zimbabwe Saints would only be shared after the meeting.
“We want people to buy shares in the company. There is no club which can be called a community-based club at this juncture,” he said. “Zimbabwe Saints is a team that has a clubhouse. We brought up this idea of a company, but it was met with resistance from some members of the executive committee seven years ago. They were pushing for the team to remain a community team. We took a back seat and they failed and we are saying we are back. Let me not pre-empt everything until after the meeting,” Makumbe said.
Some of the Zimbabwe Saints members that have been invited to the meeting on Sunday include the likes of Vincent Pamire, Gibson Homela, Ebson Muguyo, George Marabanda, Martin Mabvira, Roger Russell, Philemon Dangarembwa, Elliot Manduna, Tawanda Ruzive and Lloyd Munhanga among other club and life members.
Makumbe said they appreciate the efforts of the likes of Canada-based former Zimbabwe Saints player, Eddie Mukahanana and Munhanga, who have established clubs with a view to reviving the Zimbabwe Saints brand.
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Zimbabwe Saints were a football powerhouse in the country in the 1980s and early 1990s, winning the league championship in 1989 under coach Roy Barreto.
Some of the players that played for Chikwata back then include Muguyo, Ephraim Chawanda, Henry Mckop, the late Joseph Machingura, goalkeepers John Sibanda (late) Muzondiwa Mugadza and Jimmy Phiri and more recently Ronald Sibanda, Mthulisi Maphosa and Mtshumayeli Moyo, among others.
