Raymond Jaravaza
MZILIKAZI Football Club, a football team that was sponsored by the late Richard Choruma, got a shot in the arm when their players received food hampers donated by benefactors in the diaspora.
Choruma passed away in 2020 in South Africa.
The former Highlanders midfielder took over the sponsorship of Mzilikazi Football Club five years ago, saving it from oblivion owing to financial constraints that had hit the club.
The club competes in the Bulawayo Division Two League.
Diaspora-based benefactors on Saturday donated food hampers to the 25-member squad.
The hampers included mealie-meal, cooking oil, rice, chicken among other food stuffs.
Club administrator Mayfield Daka said the donation was part of an on-going pledge by the benefactors to assist the players during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We have been receiving the food hampers at least every four months since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country and we are very grateful to our sponsors.
“We are an ambitious club that aims to gain promotion into Division One in the near future to fulfil a dream that the late Choruma wanted to achieve when he took over the club,” said Daka.
Team captain Logan Moosa said the donations always come in handy in assisting the players and their families.
“Everything has been on a standstill since the first lockdown so it’s been hard for us to survive as players without playing football but the sponsors have been very helpful.
“Now it’s up to us to work hard at training and win games so that we can gain promotion into Division One,” said Moosa.
Footballers Union of Zimbabwe (FUZ) called on local business people to also lend a helping hand to struggling football clubs to ensure that players stay off the streets.
