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Thomson Dondo

Sports Reporter
FORMER Kiglon chief executive Thomson Dondo has thrown his weight behind CAPS United’s CAF Champions League adventure and will pay for 100 fans to watch the Green Machine in their showdown against Algerian giants USM Alger at the National Sports Stadium today. The big match starts at 3pm. The Harare businessman, who injected a fortune into Kiglon and took them into the Premiership, unveiled the package yesterday and said as a football fan he needed to give a helping hand to a club representing the country.

“I have been away from home because of work commitments, but that hasn’t stopped me from following the events there because football is my life and has always been a big part of me,’’ said Dondo, speaking from Johannesburg.

“CAPS United are not playing for themselves, but they are representing our country and they need all our support because this is about flying our flag and when they do very well, they would have done a lot for the profile of Zimbabwe football.

“I was watching the game between Mbabane Swallows of Swaziland and Platinum Stars of South Africa today (yesterday) and you could see that the exploits of the Swazi side have been cheering the entire nation and that’s what we need in our country.

“That is why I have decided to play a small part in helping CAPS United get some support in their game on Wednesday by ensuring that I pay for 100 fans who will come and cheer the team.

“These fans don’t necessarily have to be CAPS United supporters because this is all about our nation and that is why I am doing my part and, hopefully, we will have a huge crowd at the National Sports Stadium because CAPS United need that support.

“The game that I watched today which was being played in Swaziland had a stadium that was full to the brim and a team that was not expected to win that match, because people believe that Swazi football does not have the same quality as South African football, actually ended up as winners and beat their opponents 4-2 and that is what cheers a nation.’’

Dondo will also provide 100 T-shirts to the fans and also pay for their transport to and from the giant stadium.

“It’s a full package and I have been working with their representatives and everything is on course,’’ he said.

The cheapest ticket to get into the stadium costs $5.

Dondo, who is the chief executive of Impala Holdings, has been working in conjunction with the Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters Association and the organisation’s leader Eddie “Mboma” Nyatanga hailed the Harare businessman.

“That is the spirit that we want in our football and it’s good that people are coming on board to support because this is a national campaign and not a CAPS United campaign and if a businessman like Dondo can come forward and give such a helping hand why should the big businesses not also come on board and help CAPS United?

“It’s not supposed to be all about Farai Jere who has spent a lot of money in all this, but we have to unite as a nation because this is about Zimbabwe versus Algeria and next it will be Zimbabwe versus Libya and it goes on and on.

“We haven’t had a team playing at this level for a long time and we should derive a lot of pride in what CAPS United are doing,’’ said Nyatanga.