Zimpapers Logo

By Grace Chingoma
FORMER Premiership side Zimbabwe Saints are back in the Premiership after they snapped up the franchise of Eagles yesterday.
Chikwata will pay US$16 000 for the franchise, which does not come with players.
Eagles were on the market looking for a buyer and, after their deal with Hippo Valley collapsed, Saints moved in and grabbed the franchise.
Saints, who were playing in the Zifa Southern Region Division One league, acquired the Eagles franchise through a deal fronted by Bulawayo company Thermal Engineering through their director Felix Dzumbunu.
Dzumbunu served as the club chairman last season and would be sponsoring the hugely popular team in their latest flirtation with top-flight football.
Chikwata will become the third Premiership side in Bulawayo joining giants and bitter rivals Highlanders and newboys Chicken Inn.
Repeated efforts to contact Dzumbunu failed yesterday.
Saints are, traditionally, one of the biggest football clubs in the country and won the league championship in style in 1988 when the club had a galaxy of talented players that included Joseph Machingura, Henry McKop and Ephraim Chawanda.
Their fierce rivalry with Highlanders provided one of the flagship contests for domestic football and Saints were so good that they inspired singer Zexie Manatsa to write a song about them.
Agent Sawu, one of the greatest forwards to emerge on the local football scene, was bred in the Saints corridors.
Eagles director Stanley Kudenga said the move to sell the franchise was not motivated by making money but a desire to cut losses.
“Chitungwiza United FC (Private) Limited, the holding company of Eagles FC has after careful consideration of a number of fundamental factors reached a decision to disinvest from its football activities,” said Kudenga.
“The major highlight having been an operating loss of over US$160 000 incurred in the unsponsored 2010 football season.
“At the same time the local football industry indicators do not give comfort and confidence that this loss-making trend would reverse in the near future.
“This is more so for a small club like Eagles which was struggling to get the numbers into the stadium in the face of low disposable income and high liquidity challenges.”
Kudenga said the challenges faced in running a Premiership club in this country could now only be conquered by teams sponsored by big companies.
“It is the considered view of the outgoing sponsors of Eagles that given the obtaining environment investment in football is ideal for strong corporates with reasonable budgets for both marketing and corporate social investment,” said Kudenga.
“To this end we applaud the entry of the likes of Mimosa, Chicken Inn and Blue Ribbon. This confirms that we still have in our nation corporates that are just not there for the profit but that take responsibility in giving hope to those in our midst who have no means but have good given talents.
“In the end we have now reached an agreement to sale the Eagles franchise to a company based in Bulawayo who we understand are doing it on behalf of Zimbabwe Saints.
“On the other hand Eagles will say goodbye to Premiership football with a heavy heart loss that will take some time bit of time to recover.
“Unfortunately the sale of the franchise is only at a tenth of the 2010 operating loss. This sale has been more of a loss cutting measure than anything else,” said Kudenga.
The club, which was promoted in 2007 and initially played its matches at Rudhaka in Marondera, have only sold their franchise, and not the players, to Chikwata
Kudenga said they gave clearance letters to the majority of the players who have joined other Premiership clubs.
They have retained junior players who came through from their development system.
The players — goalkeepers Samuel Mafukidze and Godswill Saungweme, defenders Knowledge Machona, Obey Mwerahari and Victor Kamhuka, midfielders Brian Katsaruware and Hillary Mugoniwa and strikers Gift Phiri, Callistus Keche and Malvern Dumbura will remain on the Eagles books were released to Monomotapa on a free loan deal.
Phiri has since joined Motor Action and will be featuring for the club in the Champions League.
Young Warriors defender player Kamhuka has signed a six-month loan deal at South Africa Premiership side Mpumulanga Black Aces.
The rest of the 2010 side — goalkeeper Edmund Chimhini, Peter Muzondo, Tawanda Mareya, Tafadzwa Takawira, Tsepo Rantokoane, Ephraim Mwinga, Conrad Whitby, Webster Chingodza, Benjamin Chirimhanzi, Lloyd Chiwaridzo, Dominic Chungwa and Stanley Murove — either no longer had running contracts with the club or were simply released to join other teams.
“I personally leave PSL football with no regret. I followed my passion and in the process assisted a few less privileged youngsters to reach their dreams,” said Kudenga.
“I am leaving at a time when the Eagles project was contributing no less than five youngsters to the current Zimbabwe Under-23 national                team.
“These are youngsters that I have seen grow and are now reaching their potential. I have taken the responsibility to continue managing their career and provide them with good guidance so that they eventually reach their ultimate dream of playing in Europe.”
Eagles becomes the first club to sell its franchise this season while at least two more clubs are likely to follow suit.
Kiglon are still looking for a buyer and are believed to be close to finalising a deal with a Zimbabwean businessman based outside the country.
Monomotapa, champions in 2008, nearly sold their franchise to Northern Region Division One Flame Lily before the deal collapsed after the two parties failed to agree on the welfare of the players.