Zimpapers Logo

Sports Reporter
THEY have, of late, grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons — including allegations they influenced a key league match against Black Rhinos in their Survival Series last year.

Their critics also mock them, now and again, for an attack that is led by their 47-year-old club president Innocent Benza, who is set to play on again this season.

But, beyond that curtain of controversy, is an institution they say has been playing its part in helping domestic football.
The problem, according to them, is that this beautiful side of their story is hardly talked about, let alone written about in the domestic media, convincing them there is a real conspiracy against their presence in the game.
Now, after years and months of just doing it quietly, Herentals are fighting back.

And, they are playing their music in the open for the crowd to listen, and if possible, dance to their tune.
This week, they talked about how Benza, the oldest goalscorer in the history of the domestic Premiership, has a vision which goes beyond just having his team in the top-flight league and giving countless footballers a chance to play the game for a living.
They say it’s a grand vision in which their leader, who runs an institution that has over 50 primary and secondary schools across the country, wants to see local football thriving at all levels through a mixture of sport and education.

Through the Herentals Group of Colleges, they say Benza has turned into one of the biggest benefactors of ZIFA, ploughing thousands of dollars into the arteries of the association for the overall benefit of domestic football. Today, at midday at the ZIFA Village, Herentals FC will be donating money for foodstuffs and bonuses for the national Under-17 women’s national football team which have been involved in the World Cup qualifiers.

They say this is just part of their benevolence and beautiful story which rarely makes headlines, and they have been doing it for ages.

However, said club secretary-general Fainos Madhumbu, it’s something they have been doing for the past 11 years when they started providing transport and other logistical support during preparations for the Warriors, Mighty Warriors, Young Warriors and Young Mighty Warriors’ home and away assignments.

Madhumbu says their leader, who has been mocked by some for not retiring from the game, should actually be praised for showing it is possible to defy age and remain competitive in an era where a lot of emphasis is now on encouraging people to remain physically fit.

Their mission is to see football developing across the country, while there is also emphasis on equipping the young footballers with education to help them when they finally hang up their boots.

“Through our club president’s various initiatives, we set up a taskforce in 2009, while Herentals FC were still playing social soccer, to help our country’s junior and senior national teams by providing them with transport and other logistical support, a project that we will continue to undertake for as long as our national teams are in existence,” said Madhumbu.

“We are also doing our bit in assisting our forgotten local football legends, and last year, our first team squad visited Zimbabwe legend George “Mastermind” Shaya and his wife Agnes at their home in Glen Norah.

“It was such an inspiring experience for the lads as the Mastermind took them down memory lane to share some of his glorious moments — on and off the field — with them, and also offered them a few tips about how one can make it in this game.

“Before we left, we presented some groceries to the family and we will continue to try and uplift the spirits of other yesteryear greats this year.”

Madhumbu said they also bankroll the annual Herentals College National Youth Games where students from all their various learning institutions and other underprivileged youths, converge to compete in a number or sporting disciplines.

“This event is all about ploughing back into the community and is a favourite of our club president, and he always avails himself at the gatherings,” said Madhumbu.

“We have, through this event, unearthed a number of youngsters who have now established themselves at top-flight sports leagues like football, including the likes of Liberty Chakoroma, Wilmore Chimbetu, Frank Kuchineyi and Ronald Chishaya.

“We also sponsor the less fortunate, but talented up-and-coming sports stars by enrolling them at colleges and other tertiary institutions in and outside the country where they have gone to acquire sporting and academic excellence, with some now holding top positions at companies dotted around the globe. We strive to succeed using our institution’s motto of ‘Rise, Rise, Rise’.”

Madhumbu revealed they had elevated three players from their Under-20 side, which plays in the ZIFA Northern Region Soccer League, into their first team for the upcoming Premiership season while also recruiting former FC Platinum junior player Denzel Mutudza into their first team squad.

Young Warriors forward Tinotenda Benza said Madhumbu, who also plays alongside his father in the Students senior team and had had trials in Europe, is a product of their investment into the talent identification and development projects.

They also have a team in the Zimbabwe Women Soccer League, Herentals Queens, and other teams which compete in the rugby, basketball, volleyball and darts leagues.

“As Herentals, we have also been participating in the National Clean-Up campaign that was initiated by His Excellency President Mnangagwa, and again this is a project fully supported by our institution’s leader.”