The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
EIGHT years of mixed fortunes during which they have been castigated by some for allegedly blowing ratepayers’ money, Harare City have indeed divided opinion in the capital since making their Premiership bow in 2012.
Being a council-owned team, Harare City have attracted both negative and positive criticism in a journey that has at best yielded two Chibuku Super Cup titles, and at worst, resulted in the ignominy of losing their top-flight status at the end of 2017.
City bounced back into the elite league as a late replacement for How Mine, who folded just before the start of the 2018 season.
As the 2020 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League term beckons, Harare City will not escape the spotlight again, especially now that they are under the tutelage of highly regarded coach Lloyd Chitembwe.
The “Sunshine Boys”, who finished 12th last season, have lost a number of key players, but they have been doing their off-season business quietly at ZB Sports Club, in the serene environs of Harare’s low-density suburb of Vainona.
Rising star Tatenda Tumba, Takudzwa Chimwemwe, Munyaradzi Diro Nyenye, speed merchant Martin Vengesayi and winger Ishmael Wadi have all left City.
Former CAPS United left winger Valentine Ndaba, ex-Highlanders player Ben Musaka and the former TelOne duo of Emmanuel Mandiranga and defender Innocent Zambezi are the new faces that have arrived at the “Sunshine Boys.”
Veteran defender Hardlife Zvirekwi and former Young Warriors striker Thomas Chideu are also on the verge of signing for City.
As Chitembwe’s men brace for their ninth consecutive season in the Premiership, club chairman Alois Masepe, feels City have played their part developing football in Zimbabwe.
A respected football administrator who also served Dynamos in the 1990s, Masepe’s executive is credited for installing a sound junior structure at Harare City who now have vibrant teams from Under-15 to Under-19.
Their Under-19 side, known as Harare City Cubs, plays in the Northern Region Division One League and has become a renowned conveyor belt of talent for the senior team and other PSL clubs.
“We are not in a hurry to be champions of Zimbabwe, no. Instead, we are in a hurry to establish a firm foundation in our bid to build a professional club.
“So, in that vein our coach Lloyd is not under any pressure.
“We have created a conveyor belt, we now depend on our own home-grown talent. I feel Harare City has done a lot in the development of the boy child,” Masepe said.
Some of the players who have come through City’s development structures include Warriors striker Tino Kadewere, who recently signed for French Ligue 1 giants Olympic Lyon.
Tearaway winger Talent Chawapiwa, who is now at ABSA Premiership side AmaZulu, is also a City product.
The others include goalkeeper Arnold Munkuli — son to former Hwange and Makepekepe keeper Witness, Jerry Chipangura, Learnmore Muyambo, Wilfred Muvirimi, Hastings Chapusha and Tumba.
“If you rush to be champions without a firm foundation you will end up with a team and not a club.
“The definition of a club is given by FIFA, in terms of the Club Licensing rules. But, I am afraid, what we are seeing in Zimbabwe is that many are focusing on building teams and not clubs.
“We should not celebrate when a team buys 20 new players, we should celebrate when a club has put in place structures that churns out stars of tomorrow.
“This business of clubs buying 10 or more new players every pre-season is a microcosm of the problem we have in Zimbabwe …it speaks volumes of the shortcomings of our developmental structures,” bemoaned Masepe.
He also spoke about the club’s perennial sponsorship saga.
At one time, former Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni called for the disbandment of the club, arguing that it was wasting ratepayers’ money.
However, Masepe feels central and local government should do more to support sport.
“I get worried when people abuse the word sponsorship. This is an investment into developing talent. Our project at Harare City is creating jobs for the youths.
“Football is an industry, so Government must be interested. Local government must be interested in developing this emerging industry.
“Council currently invests in a variety of sport including football, netball, basketball and volleyball. This is positive funding in the development of sport as a new industry,” said Masepe.
City played Lower Division side Golden Eagles in a friendly at ZB Sports Club last Thursday and Chitembwe was pleased with his team’s progress.
“Normally, we don’t want to talk too much in the off-season. I don’t think we are a noisy club but I can say so far so good,” Chitembwe said.
“We brought in the players that we really wanted so we are expecting an improvement. We didn’t bring in big names, the whole idea is to promote players from the Cubs.
“There’s a lot of talent there. The good thing is that my ideas are in sync with the executive’s vision.”
City are the most successful club in the Chibuku Super Cup competition.
They won the Cup in 2015 when they stunned Dynamos 2-1 at the National Sports and in 2017 when they walloped How Mine 3-1 at Rufaro.
City were losing finalists in 2018 when they fell to Triangle at Gibbo and have been semi-finalists twice in 2016 and 2019.
