Sao Paulo is back
Victor Sibanda
VICTORIA FALLS-The Victoria Falls Community is excited by the return of favorite football team, Sao Paulo after a long lay off.
Concerned local business people and other stakeholders pooled their resources to fund the club that had been dissolved ten years ago. From Division 2, the club hopes to gain promotion to higher divisions, all the way to the Premiership division.
Football loving residents of the resort town recall that Sao Paulo under the tutelage of Try Ncube as a threat to most of the ZIFA Division One league teams in the Southern region during the late 90s to early 2000s.
A resident of Chinotimba, Mr Alois Sibanda attested to the team’s strength during its heyday.
” I am glad that the team is back. At one point Paulo was close to gaining promotion into the top flight league. The team had a huge following from locals and surrounding communities. I hope it is here to stay and gets promoted into the first division next year,” said an excited Sibanda while adding that the funders seem to be committed towards sustaining the team.
” I am very happy, in fact, the Victoria Falls Community is very happy at the rebirth of Sao Paulo. The team was a marvel to watch in the first division. I really miss those good old days. I believe that the team has come to stay this time around,” said Bernadette Dube of Mkhosana township.
The outfit has been training hard under the watchful eye of Zibonele Ncube since the relaunch of the team three weeks ago. Ncube, a Chinotimba Primary School teacher is a seasoned CAF B certificate holder who used to coach the now defunct Magagasi FC. Magagasi narrowly missed out on a ticket to the Premier Soccer League.
Sao Paulo has a number of players who have played division one football before.
While speaking on the sidelines of a training session at Etankeni Training ground, Ncube said that he has a strong squad of more than thirty players to choose from.
” As you can see, I have quite a good number of players. Presently I have thirty one players. Most of them are highly experienced having been playing division one football for so long. I will definitely win promotion to division one because of the quality I have in players like Shelton Ngwenya,Lymon Nxumalo,Nkosilathi Songe,Thabani Ndlovu, Shelton Dube and Loud Nkomazana,” said the confident gaffer.
“The team is funded by some well established people in the resort town who have chosen to remain anonymous. We will disclose them at the right time,” said Ncube.
Division two league games have not started yet but Sao Paulo has lined up a series of friendly games with teams in Hwange and Jambezi. Presently there is only one Southern Region Division one team in Victoria Falls, Mosi Rovers FC.
