BLACK RHINOS coach Stanford ‘Stix’ Mutizwa says his biggest regret this season has been losing Gareth Madhake, Keith Madera and Ellie Ilunga to rival Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs.
Mutizwa has been beset with re-assembling his army-side after losing 13 players this year.
But the Warriors legend's biggest regret has been Ilunga and Madera.
Madhake joined Ngezi Platinum while Ilunga and Madera signed for Dynamos.
Ilunga was a Soccer Stars finalist last year after resurrecting his career following a below par stint at FC Platinum. Madera was the club's joint best player of the 2022 season while Madhake stood as one of their budding rookies.
"It's difficult assembling the team from scratch. It's hurting and regretful to lose players who were part of the first team," Mutizwa said.
"The youngsters are coming up well but we needed to have those players. It's a chapter that is already behind us. We have moved on but the exodus left a big hole. It's a process that we are doing diligently. At this point, we are still in the process of adding one or two experienced players.
"We are aiming to play at least four more friendly matches before the season starts. We have to ensure the effectiveness of the combinations we have at the moment."
Last season, Black Rhinos finished the season in the top eight and Mutizwa will be hoping for an improvement despite losing some of his key players.