Lovemore Kadzura
Sports Reporter
AS widely expected, Rusape-based Midway Football Club, will not participate in this year’s Pacific Storm Eastern Region Division One League due to ongoing leadership squabbles within the team’s hierarchy.
Midway failed to pay the required affiliation fees to the league, and was subsequently omitted from the fixtures released last week.
The team, which was sponsored by Midway Farm on the outskirts of Rusape, was rocked by the contentious transfer of star striker, Tymon Machope to Simba Bhora two seasons ago.
Machope joined Simba Bhora as a free agent after some club officials allegedly informed them (Simba Bhora) that he was only receiving a salary as a farm employee, not as a professional footballer.
This revelation angered the farm manager and then chairman, Miller Chiposa, who subsequently withdrew his support from the team.
Midway Farm is owned by former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor, John Mangudya.
Although managers from other entities owned by Mangudya took over the team, they have struggled to manage it effectively and convince him to continue providing financial support and resources.
Pacific Storm Eastern Region Division One administrator, Fungai Munyoro-Chingaira said Midway will not be participating in the league this season, having failed to pay the US$3 250 affiliation fee, despite being given sufficient time to do so.
“Midway FC is not part of the league this season because they did not pay the affiliation fee. Our initial deadline was February 14, 2025, and we extended it to March 15, when we held our Annual General Meeting. We took long to release the fixtures to accommodate all the clubs, including Midway FC.
“Now the fixtures are out, and this means the doors are closed. They once wrote a letter saying they will affiliate, but nothing materialised. As a league, we worked well with them. They were a disciplined and professional team, and we never had serious issues with them,” said Munyoro-Chingaira.
Midway vice-chairman, Ramos Chikwasa, a manager at PanMart Supermarket, which is a sister company to Midway Farm, said they are waiting for funding from their principal.
“So far, we do not have an update on how we are going to proceed. Funding is the challenge. We are not sure if he (Dr Mangudya) has pulled out as he only said he will organise something. I am not involved fulltime in football issues.
I am not aware whether the team is training or not, you can check with Never Madhadhadha, the team chairman,” said Chikwasa.
Efforts to get a comment from Madhadhadha were in vain as he was not picking up calls.
An insider told Post Sport that the team was using an average of US$30 000 per season.
The obtaining situation at Midway FC means Rusape no longer have professional team in ZIFA structures.
