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Tadious Manyepo  in MHONDORO-NGEZI

NGEZI Platinum Stars’ chief executive officer, Nyasha Kadenge, believes the Mhondoro team stands to benefit from exchanges they have had with South African Premiership football side Cape Town City. 

A team led by Kadenge recently embarked on a benchmarking exercise with the Cape Town-based side which she described as an eye-opener. 

Speaking on the sidelines of the unveiling ceremony for new Ngezi Platinum players here yesterday, Kadenge said the team will review the engagements with an idea of forging formal partnerships. 

“We had an opportunity to visit our kit sponsor, Umbro, in South Africa and we had various discussions and we had an opportunity to benchmark with South African clubs in their portfolio,” she said. 

“We got to meet Cape Town City management. We met managing director, John Comitis, and commercial manager. 

“We got to know how they manage the club, the structures and their Dream 100 club whereby they recruit players from all over Western Cape and we got very much fascinated by that project. 

“We also got to know how they model the club as a business. So we hope to start something along those lines so that our club can also benefit. 

“We hope to use those linkages which came out of those engagements which we had.” 

While Kadenge and her executive team continue to oil the club on the business side, the technical staff, led by interim coach Takesure Chiragwi, have brought in five new signings. 

Former Cranborne Bullets right-back Tapiwa Sibanda, Last Jesi, who was formerly with Sudanese giants Al Hilal, ex-Triangle striker Delic Murimba, Carlos Mavhurume, who was with CAPS United, and Takunda Benhura, who was with the Ngezi development side, were paraded yesterday. 

Benhura has been in the headlines over the last weeks after scoring six goals in four games for the Ngezi Platinum Under-19 side in the ZIFA Northern Region Division One Soccer League. 

Stand-in head coach, Chiragwi, said the five could be thrown in Ngezi Platinum’s next league match against CAPS United at the National Sports Stadium at the weekend. 

Sibanda, who was in the provisional Warriors squad for the African Cup of Nations, said playing for Ngezi was a dream come true. 

“This is a dream. I would like to thank my former club Cranborne Bullets who moulded me into becoming a player I am now,” he said. 

“I will give it my all. For me it’s a dream come true. I wish to help Ngezi win the league title. That’s what I am here for.”