The Sunday Mail
Sports Reporter
AFTER four years in the doldrums, Mufakose Queens, one of the country’s pioneer women football clubs, finally got a boost as they unveiled a sponsorship deal in the capital yesterday.
The club, which is renowned for producing scores of talented players such as former Mighty Warriors stars Melody Musasa, Talent Mandaza and Ruvimbo Mutyavaviri, have been dormant since 2017 due to financial constraints. But they have since been given a new lease of life by panel beating company Fineye, who presented the club with kits, equipment and a vehicle for administrative purposes.
They will now register to play in the Northern Region league.
Fineye chief executive officer Albert Kaseke said his company’s gesture was one way of ploughing back to the community. He is son to the late Monica Kaseke, one of the founder members of Mufakose Queens together with coaches Langton Giwa and Johannes Chikaola.
“I want to thank Giwa and Chikaola for the sacrifices they made. You are the ones who made Mufakose Queens.
“It’s with the appreciation of the girl-child that Fineye is diving into uncharted waters,” Kaseke said.
“We need to keep the girl-child busy so that we take them away from social vices like drug abuse and early marriages.
“Now we are doing panel beating of the girl-child.” He said his company is proud to be associated with one of the pioneers of women’s soccer in Zimbabwe.
“My mother’s undying love for the girl-child and women empowerment pushed her to do what she loved most: supporting the fairer gender.
“Such zeal and passion for women empowerment has inspired Fineye Panel Beaters to resuscitate the legacy left by my mother, who journeyed with Mufakose Queens from 1996 to 2009.”
The club’s co-founder, Giwa, hailed the new sponsors and called for unity of purpose. “This club has got history. Remember that the bulk of players who ended up playing for the national team came from Mufakose Queens.
“But the club had gone under owing to numerous challenges. Fortunately, today we are being blessed with another kiss of life. Let’s work in harmony and pick up from where we left.” Former women’s national soccer administrator Theresa Maguraushe said the football team is remembered for ignited interest in women football.
“For the past three years I never heard of the club because they had gone under. However, today we are witnessing the rebirth of Mufakose Queens . . . Women’s football has a lot of challenges and for you to come on board is such a wonderful development,” she said.
Former Mighty Warriors manager Charity Munemo and ex-Dynamos winger Eddie Mashiri were part of the guests at the unveiling ceremony.
