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Tedious Manyepo Sports Reporter—

BLACK RHINOS players were on Tuesday rewarded with a Lenovo 2010 smartphone each worth $300 by a local company for helping the team win the 2016 Northern Region Division One soccer title.The army side could as well rejoin the top-flight league depending on how warring ZIFA and PSL resolve their relegation-promotion saga.

The two-time Premiership kings wrapped up the NRSL title with a game to spare in the just-ended season.

And as it stands, the army side have been promoted after they were demoted in 2013.

Initially, all the Division One winners in four regions were supposed to face each in a four-team promotional play-off to determine the two teams who would join the Premier League.

But that matter has triggered a serious fallout between ZIFA and their flagship affiliate.

That row has, however, done little to dampen the celebratory mood at the barracks following Chipembere’s success story.

An electronic company, which has been sporadically handing goodies and cash to motivate the players during the season, rewarded the players with cellphones.

The gadgets are worth $9 000 in total.

Speaking on the sidelines of the handover ceremony, Black Rhinos secretary-general Camble Sithole expressed gratitude to the company.

“The gesture is a welcome development in the club.

“It helps motivate the players and it will spur them to always want to succeed.

“We are happy that we have managed to clinch the title.

“We are ready to play in the Premiership and it is my hope that we will survive for a long time in the top-flight.

“We have learnt to be composed whether we are in the lower division or in the premiership.

“So we are promising to stay afloat, we have fought so hard to regain promotion,” Sithole said.