The Sunday News
Sports Reporters
THEY are dreaming big! And if there were any doubting Thomases, they were left with egg all over their faces, when the Division Two league title hopefuls walloped a fighting police side 5-0 in a feat witnessed by a news crew from Sunday Leisure at their home ground in Habane Township at Esigodini last weekend.
The side is now seven points ahead of the chasing pack with barely six games to go in their gruelling league.
And one can aptly say their dream is definitely destined to become reality.
This just sums up Habane Sharks Football Club’s fairytale rise from just being a boozer’s team barely nine months ago into championship contenders in the country’s third tier league, the Zifa Matabeleland South Division Two league.
Judging by huge scoring margins that have characterised almost all the matches they have won, the Baron Dube bankrolled side looks poised to ply their trade in the Zifa Central Division One next year.
Dube is one of the most successful businessmen and miner in the gold rich area of Esigodini.
“Habane Sharks started off as a boozers’ team and I used to come here to watch them and even bought refreshments for them after matches. However, late last year some of the boys approached me and convinced me to have the team affiliated into Division Two. I obliged because I could see that there was a lot of talent that might go to waste if the boys didn’t play in a competitive league,” said the quiet and rather unassuming Dube.
The ambitious side, which is the joy and pride of Esigodini judging by its passionate supporters, is at the summit of the 12-team log standings, in its maiden season, and it’s yet to taste defeat after 15 games. They have won 12 and drawn three.
They have managed to score a massive 57 goals while conceding only eight.
“We are already focusing on playing in Division One next year. We are yet to taste defeat and I don’t see any team in this league beating us throughout the campaign,” said Dube.
So confident was Dube that they had leased their home ground Habane Stadium from the Umzingwane Rural District Council with the aim of renovating the facility to meet the Zifa Division One standards.
“We have plans to spruce up this ground, of course with the assistance of the local authority. Already a borehole, which is meant to supply water for watering the lawn, has been repaired.
“The lawn will be planted at the end of the season. We are also going to erect a perimeter fence as you can see the precast wall around the ground has been damaged,” said Dube.
He said the construction of terraces was also likely to begin before the end of the year depending on the availability of funds.
“This team is the pride of Esigodini people and its support base is better than that of some Premier league teams because we have about 500 supporters watching our matches and most of the time we struggle to ferry them to our away games,” said Dube.
The bulk of Habane Sharks’ players are drawn from Esigodini and the neighbouring villages of Mtshabezi and Filabusi with some coming from the asbestos mining town of Zvishavane.
Head coach Mandla Ndlovu believes his boys have all but wrapped up their campaign in the less fashionable Division Two league and is already focused on the prospects of playing in Division One.
The former Zim Jets, Sporting Lions, How Mine and Thorngroove central defender says he has enough arsenal to last the distance in Division One.
“Of course our wish is to get promoted into Division One, which I must say appears to be realistic at the moment. We have a very competitive side that can manage to withstand the pressure which comes with playing in that league,” said Ndlovu.
He, however, said there would be a need to beef-up the squad with a few experienced players.
“We are, however, likely to beef up our squad with notable additions on our goalkeeping, midfield and strike force departments as we feel there is a need to have experienced players,” Ndlovu said.
The team boasts of exceptional talent in the form of their skipper Kwanele “Zoe” Sikhosana, a talented defensive midfielder who can easily fit into any team in the Premier league, stocky striker, Meluleki “Dunga” Dube who compensates for his lack of height with pace, strength and powerful shots. The list also includes Nkanyiso “Gatuso” Nyoni, Anele Ngwenya and former Bulawayo Chiefs defender, James Kabiso.
Dunga, who scored a brace last weekend is the club’s and the league’s top goal scorer with 15 goals to his credit.
Habane Sharks have also added experience to their technical department by roping in former Jessy Mine coach Emmanuel Chisara as assistant coach.
