Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
THE role of sport as a unifier is being exhibited in Victoria Falls where for the first time, various stakeholders have come together to strategise on how the city can have a professional soccer club in the country’s Premier Soccer League (PSL).
Victoria Falls is the only city in the country that has never had a Premier League team although it has enjoyed a good run in the Zifa Division One and Two leagues. The city has Mosi Rovers in Zifa Southern Region Division One Championship but while the team is a community club, it has no backing of the whole community as it is a project for a few businesspersons.
In its history, Victoria Falls which became a city in 2019 has had a number of formidable lower division sides, dating back to the days of Makasa, Victoria Falls Sun Hotel, Intundla FC, Gorges Security, Elephant Hills, Savanna, Zamalek, Super Eagles, Kujatana, Sao Paulo, Trumus, Amagagasi, Busy Island and Victoria Falls United, among others. Some competed against each other and could not make it to the PSL as they split the few resources at their disposal. At one stage the city had six clubs in the Zifa Southern Region Division One League. Football lovers may have realised the weakness and now want to rally behind a single team that can represent the city and promote sports tourism. They noted individualism and competition as the reason for lack of unity in sport in the city.
A meeting co-organised by representatives from different stakeholders including Hwange West Member of Parliament Vusumuzi Moyo, Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa), Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association (Vifacora), the local authority and residents was held at Chinotimba Community Hall last Wednesday.
There is a general consensus that Victoria Falls needs a topflight soccer team, a world-class multi-purpose sports arena which can help attract big clubs for training in Victoria Falls. It was agreed to form a taskforce to spearhead the process and come-up with a roadmap to be used in coming up with a successful club.
The taskforce comprising 10 members, Victoria Falls City Council Ward 2 Councillor Tafadzva Mutowa, former Cuncillor Tonderai Mutasa, veteran football administrator Brian Moyo, tourism executive Clement Mukwasi are some of the members of the taskforce. They are expected to come up with a strategy and find ways of mobilising resources and come up with the best suitable way forward on the issue.
While the city council has reportedly said it will not afford to finance a football club, Zimpapers Sports Hub understands the local authority came up with a sports levy in the 2024 budget with the money set to be used in developing sports facilities, Clr Mutowa confirmed at the meeting.
Residents are, however, concerned about failure by council to construct a state-of-the-art stadium and recreation facilities, with the Chinotimba Stadium falling far short of meeting any lower tier football standards. Mutasa urged soccer coaches to desist from the habit of owning players and limiting their opportunities while the council should also invest in sporting facilities.
Veteran coach Try Ncube said there was a need to work with people with a passion for football and reiterated the need to invest in junior football. Vifacora chair Kelvin Moyo said by putting heads together stakeholders could break the jinx. Brian Moyo said while PSL status is desirable, it is expensive to run a soccer club hence stakeholders should work hard.
“There is an opportunity to produce league champions and we need the political will and a proper training stadium, not a ground. If football is to make sense we need to make the business see the benefits of sponsoring it,” he said.
Mukwasi implored stakeholders to come up with business strategies to make the club, once established, sustainable because the corporate world have donor fatigue.
“While as tourism industry we want sports tourism, we need sustainable projects. So we can think of establishing a business through which the industry can put money for the team,” he said.