The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
FORMER Dynamos midfielder Raphael Manuvire and ex-CAPS United striker Honey Chimutimunzeve headline a cast of Premier Soccer League players who have joined the trek to Shamva-based Division One side, Simba Bhora.
The newly promoted Northern Region Division One League side, which recently appointed veteran Arthur Tutani as head coach, also signed former Black Rhinos, FC Platinum and CAPS United forward Brian “Bhidho” Muzondiwa last week.
The trio join former Dynamos strikers Quality Kangadzi and Richard Kawondera at the ambitious Shamva side, which is owned by 42-year-old businessman Simba Ndoro.
Brighton Tuwaya, who played CAF Champions League football with Dynamos in 2008, and Louis Matawu, who once had a stint with defunct sides How Mine and Motor Action, are some of the players with Premiership experience and are now based in Shamva.
“You can call us ambitious but this is because we are a determined club. Remember, at one time we were linked with buying Mushowani Stars. It was unfortunate that the team got relegated.
“We now want to try and gain promotion on our own, it’s sweeter that way. We have appointed Tutani, a veteran of Division One football.You all know what he has done in the past, but we are not giving him any pressure,” Ndoro told The Sunday Mail Sport.
Tutani, a veteran of the division, won promotion into the PSL with Sporting Lions and Mwana Africa. He will conduct trials at Wadzanai Stadium in Shamva from Tuesday to Saturday.
“We are looking forward to a good pre-season. We want to build a strong and competitive team that will play entertaining football, a team that will finish the season in a respectable position,” said Tutani, who also won promotion into the PSL with Monomotapa and Black Rhinos as assistant coach.
“We have roped in Manuvire, Muzondiwa and Honey (Chimutimunzeve), just to name a few. We expect more quality players to come to Shamva,” said Tutani, who will be assisted by former Flame Lily coach Ralph Kawondera (Snr).
It’s not always the norm, that a Division One football team, a newly promoted one for that matter, attracts players from the Premier Soccer League.
But Simba Bhora, formerly Simba Stars, are moving mountains to qualify for the PSL, 10 years after they were disqualified for alleged match fixing.
They won promotion into the top flight in 2009, but their ticket was eventually awarded to the now defunct Douglas Warriors.
Also promoted into the Northern Region Division One League, from Mashonaland Central, are FC Charles of Glendale.
FC Prison Stars and Commando Bullets were promoted from Harare Province, while Chinhoyi Stars and Come Again qualified from Mashonaland West, although there could be an appeal against the latter’s promotion from CUMA.
