Story by Mthokozisi Dube
ZIMBABWE Saints Football Club is not looking back after finishing fourth in the Southern Region Division One League, with Chauya Chikwata targeting a return to the topflight after warring factions smoked a peace pipe.
When the late Zex Manatsa featured Zimbabwe Saints in one of his football songs, it was a true testament that the oldest club belonged to the class of yesteryear football greats.
Chikwata, a club which used to give big guns a good run for their money, has had a difficult past with warring factions fighting for ownership and control of the club, something which has seen the club failing to sustain its stay in the top flight, with court cases being the order of the day.
Last year, the club had a promising performance, finishing fourth in the Southern Region Division One League.
A new order is now in place after the elevation of Tawanda Ruzive into the hot seat.
Ruzive, who is no stranger in football after leading the now-defunct Quelaton into the Premier League, says the focus is on bringing back glory days to a club which was ardently supported by his late father.
“Zim Saints, Chauya Chikwata, I think the excitement is there now. We played well last season, and we ended up number four under very difficult circumstances, but we are not looking back,” he said.
“I have the support of our two warring factions. We have decided to take lessons from last year’s campaign. Zimbabwe Saints is not a new club it is an old club. We just need to go for the Premiership now and have concluded the signing of our players.”
The club which boasts of vast infrastructure across the city has court investors from the diaspora to construct a Zimbabwe Saints Village at their clubhouse in Queens Park, Bulawayo, a project expected to generate revenue for the club.
“We have come up with a plan to utilise our 14 hectares of land to construct a Saints Village which will be used while also accommodating visiting teams. We need a Zimbabwe Saints that generates revenue,” Ruzive said.
Chikwata has bolstered the technical team, bringing in respected tactician Philani Ncube to the fold.
“Our intentions are clear, we have signed our 30-member squad and brought Philani Ncube to lead us back into the top flight,” club secretary, Caleb Sengu said.
Zimbabwe Saints has produced legends among them Gift Homela, Joseph Machingura, Agent Sawu, Muzondiwa Mugadza, Ronald Sibanda, Henry Mckop, Ephraim Chawanda and Ebson Sugar Muguyo, among others.
