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Clr Manyenyeni

Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
THE Mayor of the capital and former patron of Harare City Football Club, Bernard Manyenyeni, hopes the team will survive relegation when the Premiership season concludes today.

The Chibuku Super Cup champions are deep in relegation waters with destiny no longer in their hands this afternoon when they play How Mine at Rufaro. For City to remain afloat, fellow relegation rivals Hwange and Bulawayo City should both lose their matches today while the Sunshine Boys win their encounter. And Harare City are facing the risk of playing in the Confederation Cup next year coming from Division One.

“It’s our team. We wish them every success and hope that they survive (relegation). We want them to play in the league but managing the costs. Even after I quit as the patron, I continued to support the team,” said Manyenyeni.

He added that his bone of contention was the astronomical figures not necessarily the football project.

“Our point of departure is that it’s too expensive for ratepayers’ money to fund the team and that the football budget should also reflect on our (council) limited re- sources. It is my hope that if they go to Division One we must still examine the figures,” said Manyenyeni.

The Sunshine Boys are third from bottom with 35 points and are below fellow council side Bulawayo City who have 36 points. Hwange, on 37 points, just need to win their match against ZPC Kariba at Nyamhunga to be sure of top-flight football next year.

“It is a very important assignment, everyone had written us off with five games to go. I can see the Hand of God. These games are tough but we have to fight to the last minute. We will go with the same spirit we had in our previous match though this is a different game altogether now. We are confident that we can survive as we have come a long way,’’ said Hwange coach Bigboy Mawiwi.

 TODAY’S Fixtures

Shabanie Mine v Yadah (Maglas), Harare City v How Mine (Rufaro), ZPC Kariba v Hwange (Nyamhunga), Tsholotsho v Black Rhinos (Dulivadzimo), Bulawayo City v Bantu Rovers (Luveve), Ngezi Platinum v Triangle (Baobab), Highlanders v CAPS United (Barbourfields), Dynamos v Chicken Inn (National Sports Stadium, 2pm), Chapungu v FC Platinum (Ascot, 2pm).