Fungai Muderere
HWANGE-bred ex-Highlanders striker Cleopas “Ballotelli” Dube recently got his South African permanent residence documents, a development that will allow his Durban-based National First Division side Uthongathi Football Club to register him as a local player next season.
Dube (29), who joined the great trek to Mzansi in 2014, previously played for the Elvis Chipezeze-captained Baroka FC in the lucrative Absa Premiership.
He also used to turn out for Witbank Spurs.
The bustling forward signed for second placed Uthongathi FC as a foreign player just before the start of South Africa’s 2019/ 2020 football season.
As a result of the challenges he met in getting his work permit processed, the striker missed nine first round matches. He has played five of the 17 games that his club has been involved in so far.
The player has three goals for the club which is also home to Ivory Coast international Ali Badra and former Orlando Pirates player Issa Saar who hails from Senegal.
Dube believes being issued with South African permanent residence documents will compel him to work harder.
“It was a long but worthy wait. I got my permanent residency documents at the end of 2019 after playing for more than six years in South Africa. This is a great development for me as I will no longer face challenges of getting my work permit processed,” said Dube.
He added: “All this will naturally inspire me to work even harder. I greatly look forward to be registered as one of the local players by Uthongathi next season. My wish is to help my club gain PSL promotion.
“I played in the Mzansi PSL while I was turning out for Baroka but things never went well,” said Dube in a telephone interview from Kwazulu Natal.
In February 2017, after leaving Baroka, Dube joined NFD side Stellenbosch. He made sixteen appearances in all competitions for the club in the 2016/ 2017 season. He then signed for NFD club Royal Eagles.
He made his debut against his current club Uthongathi, prior to scoring his first goal in his second match versus Highlands Park; the same opponent he scored his first Spurs goal for.
