The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube
FORMER Highlanders midfielder Peter “Rio” Moyo has signed for South African National First Division side, Witbank Spurs after failing to make the grade at Mpumalanga Black Aces in June this year.
At Spurs Moyo joins former teammate at Highlanders, Cleopas Dube who signed for Spurs during the midseason transfer window.
Witbank Spurs public relation manager George Khumalo confirmed that Rio was now in their books and the club was waiting for his work permit to be approved before he starts playing for the team.
In a telephone interview from his base in South Africa, Khumalo said Rio had been training with them for close to two months and they were happy with what they had seen.
“After Rio left Black Aces, for whatever reasons, we considered him and after trials our coaches gave him their approval. He has been training with us for close to two months now but he won’t be able to play until his work permit is out,” he said.
Moyo joined Mpumalanga Black Aces in June but his stay at the club was short-lived after the club’s coach Clive Barker deemed him excess baggage before he could even kick the ball for the team. Barker was reportedly not impressed with Rio’s style of play.
There had been speculation that Rio could make a return to Zimbabwe football after the collapse of the Black Aces deal but the confirmation by Khumalo puts to rest those rumours.
Khumalo said once Rio’s work permit was out the dribbling maestro would not have problems of being drafted into the first team as “we have faith in his abilities’’.
“We feel he (Moyo) could make a big difference in the team with his style of play and can assist us gain promotion to the Premier Soccer League,” he said. Rio’s Zimbabwean handler Amin Soma-Phiri also confirmed the latest development but could not give the finer details of the deal. Khumalo revealed the club’s chairman, Themba Mafu was born in Zimbabwe hence the team was likely to recruit more players from the country. Spurs are currently on sixth position in the NFD with 17 points from 12 games.
Highlanders’ goalkeeper, Munyaradzi Diya also attended trials at the club in August and in an earlier interview, Khumalo said they are yet to make a decision on the player.
Local players take aim at the South African Premiership because of the huge financial gains that football in that country offers, compared to Zimbabwe. Other Highlanders players that have moved to South Africa this year include Milton Ncube, who was snapped up by Ajax Cape Town, Kuda Mahachi, who had been on loan from Sundowns, Khumbulani Banda who has joined Maritzburg United and Dube.
