The ManicaPost
Ray Bande and Luthando Mapepa
2023 Castle Lager Premiership season debutants, GreenFuel will be conducting trials for prospective new players, while at the same time the Lowveld side is moving with haste to renovate their home ground to meet the top-flight league standards.
GreenFuel FC, who are bankrolled and named after the Chisumbanje ethanol producing concern, Green Fuel, recently earned Premiership promotion without tasting defeat in the ZIFA Eastern Region Division One League.
In statement this week, the Lloyd Mutasa-coached outfit invited players aged between 19 and 26 for trials at its Chisumbanje home ground starting on Monday.
The move to have trials for that age group could easily be deciphered as Mutasa’s intention to give younger players a chance to showcase their talents ahead of the older counterparts when the club finally partakes in the domestic top-flight league.
The ambitious outfit has since started renovating its home ground to match the Premiership Soccer League standards.
A team of authorities in domestic football led by the Premiership head of secretariat, Kenny Ndebele toured the GreenFuel Stadium recently where they made recommendations to the club to renovate the stadium.
The club chairperson, Fredson Moyo told Post Sport that renovations on the stadium have began and will be completed soon.
“I can confirm that the renovations at the GreenFuel Stadium have already began following a visit by ZIFA management.
“They recommended that the stadium be renovated to meet Premier Soccer League standards.
“The project is being fully funded by GreenFuel (Pvt) Limited. We intend to erect a precast wall around the stadium. The other key areas we will fix are ablution facilities, media box and a first phase of the grand stand.
“We are also digging the pitch and importing proper clay soil. We are also working on the drainage system,” said Moyo.
Moyo added that the stadium will be ready by February.
“We are excited with the progress made so far and we are pushing to have the stadium ready before the premiership start in February,” he added.
The promotion of the Chisumbanje-based side into the PSL was a monumental feat in its own right, given that never before had Chipinge as a district had a team in the top-flight league.
