The ManicaPost
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
THE greenbelt of Rusitu Valley in Chimanimani District is known more for banana production than anything else, but not until this year when Rusitu Tigers take part in the Eastern Region Division One League — the first club from that area in history of local football to partake in such a competitive league.
While former Dynamos defence lynchpin, Lovemore Mapuya and ex-FC Platinum player, Thembinkosi Nkomo trace their bloodline to the undulating terrain of Rusitu, the area has never been associated with the game of football at the highest level in the country.
But the fairy tale of the country’s most loved sport of football spreading to marginalised areas seems not to be ending with GreenFuel FC bringing Premiership football to Chipinge, nor Ngezi Platinum taking the top-flight league gamer to Mhondoro.
In an interview with Post Sport this week, Rusitu Tigers director, Simon Muyambo admitted that it was not an easy road to achieve this feat.
“We came a long way. It was not easy at all to be where we are. It was out of the sacrifices that was put in by the board and different stakeholders for us to be in Division One.
“People like our Member of the House of Assembly, Joshua Sacco and many others assisted us in a big way and we really want to appreciate them. In a way, football players from this area will now have a platform to showcase their talents.
“It is sad that in the past we would have talented players who did not have anywhere to showcase their talents, but the latest development is a solution to that predicament,” said Muyambo.
He said they are looking forward to be part of the ZIFA Eastern Region Division One family, not just to add up numbers.
“We are planning to welcome new players who have more experience in Division One and Premier League. We want to be part of the ZIFA Eastern Region Division One, not just to add up numbers, but to show everyone that Rusitu has football talent,” he said.
To put the latest achievement by Rusitu Tigers into perspective, some years back around 2002, there was a club in Chimanimani called Red Army which was in Division Three and that team played for more than five years in the same area of Rusitu, but because of financial problems the team crumbled.
It was in 2002 when community and business partners gathered and formed Rusitu Tigers FC.
“We were assisted by coach, Moses Chigidi and one Mujaho from Birchenough Bridge. These guys fought hard in mobilising the community opinion leaders to love the game of football.
“The reason behind this was to try and entertain our elders as well as bringing young generation to soccer so that they may abstain from taking dangerous drugs and participating in other social vices. It was also about educating them that one can earn a living out of football,” said Muyambo.
ZIFA Eastern Region executive member in charge of marketing, Benjamin Chindima said: “We are very excited about the coming in of Rusitu Tigers FC. This is exactly the thrust of our executive that we need to spread the game of football to every corner of the region and ensure that no place is left behind.”
