Bosso fans have never tweeted, “We are the champio...

Bosso fans have never tweeted, “We are the champions”…as mine owned clubs claim premium spots in local football

They remain the biggest clubs. For now. But the glamour is fading as the rich mine owned clubs establish themselves as the new royalty of Zimbabwean football.

Their multitude of die-hard fans will probably want to lynch you, but reality is when one talks of local footballing giants Highlanders, Dynamos and Caps United are now just have-beens.

Football critic Mduduzi Maphenduka described the 'big three' as faded giants.

"There was a time when Dynamos, Caps United and Highlanders were the home of football glory. Gone are those days, we now have new players and new cup kings such as FC platinum. The once fancied big three have gone for a long time without winning a league title and they no longer command that respect they used to have and they have even fallen on the Africa club ranks"

he said.

Silverware drought

Dynamos and Caps United have thrown scraps to their legions of fans with league titles in the past 20 years. Dynamos reigned unbeaten from 2011 to 2014. Caps United took the cup home in 2016.

Highlanders fans have never tweeted, “We are the champions” as their last league title in 2006 under Methembe predated the arrival of Twitter in Zimbabwe.

This is painful for fans who still recall the 'all conquering' Bosso that won four championships in a row between 1998 and 2002.

Calling Dynamos players the Glamour Boys these days is now an embarrassing turn of speech, likely to get a fan laughed out of the bar.

The three teams especially Highlanders and Caps United now just live to survive another Sunday afternoon.

Their home stadiums have ceased being fortresses where they slaughter opponents, rather it has become pressure fields where they grind for results in this case draws to save their face from embarrassment.

Mine clubs are the new black

Mine owned teams Ngezi Platinum Stars and FC Platinum have become the new 'bosses' in town.

FC Platinum has won three consecutive Premier League titles and seem well set to sweep the fourth as they are on top of the log.

FC PLatinum have stood the test of time and are the new bosses in town. They have managed to cement their position as the new giants of Zimbabwean football.

Money matters

The mine owned clubs FC Platinum and Ngezi Platinum STars are reported to be the highest paying teams in the league. It is further reported that Benjani Mwaruwari who was sacked as Ngezi Platinum Stars coach this July was getting a monthly salary of USD$10 000.

Speculation is that the club will pay him USD $400 000 handshake to pay him out of his four-year contract.

The situation has been the opposite for the former top three clubs. Successive seasons have been marred by industrial action and exodus of key players.

Dembare and Bosso who have been facing perennial cash challenges after sponsors dumped them, were recently saved by a cash injection by business tycoon Kudakwashe Tagwirei in a three-year deal.

Caps United on the other hand were linked to a sponsor who was reported to have links to an English Premier League team. But that deal did not materialise.

In May, the club sacked five senior players including the club's then skipper Ronald Chitiyo for being the ring leaders of the industrial action which saw their match against Cranborne Bullets at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday being delayed by thirty minutes.

Club President Farai Jere admitted that financial woes have crippled the former cup kings and challenged anyone who has the financial muscle to run the Green Machine, to come forward and take over, after increasing pressure from football stakeholders to sell the club.

"If there is anyone who has money, ask them to come and approach me, I’m prepared to give them the team. The number of people who have approached me, whom I’m seeing come out in the newspapers, the moment they ask me how much do you need per month to run CAPS United, I tell them you need USD40 000 per month and they don’t come back."

And charity begins at home

As the faded giant's stadiums have ceased from being fortresses where opponents are thwarted, they have also fallen out of modern CAF and FIFA standards.

Dynamos' Rufaro stadium which they rent from the Harare City Council was condemned for any football activities by the premier league and was declared a health hazard by the council. However, through the help of Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Dynamos managed to acquire the stadium for a 99 year lease. Tagwirei will renovate the stadium to modern day standards.

Baobab and Mandava stadium, the homes of Ngezi and FC platinum respectively have been renovated to good standards though they can't be used for international matches.

Poor record setting

Bosso have failed to break a 31 away match winless streak that saw their last away match in Gweru against Whawha ending 2-1 in favor of the prison wardens a fortnight ago.

Bosso gaffer Brito said losing away should not be part of his team's DNA.

"We need to build a good DNA at Highlanders because we cant be associated with losing when we play away from home"

he said.

Highlanders last win outside Bulawayo was back on July, 22, 2018 when they edged Triangle United 1-0. This season Highlanders have played nine out of Bulawayo matches, losing four games to Whawha, Black Rhinos (2-0), Manica Diamonds (1-0) and 3-0 against FC Platinum via the boardroom after the PSL disciplinary committee awarded three points on a 3-0 scoreline for their abandoned match. The April 23 game was abandoned with the scoreline at 1-1 after pitch invasion and police firing tear gas.

Bosso have played five out of Bulawayo draws against Tenax CS FC (0-0), Caps United (1-1), Triangle United (0-0), ZPC Kariba (0-0) and Ngezi Platinum (1-1).

Highlanders' next away trip is to Harare where they will face Herentals.

Highlanders Harare Chapter Chairman Derrick Ncube said their team's winless streak has hit them hard financially and emotionally, but maintained hope for a change in fortunes.

"Bosso has gone for a long spell of failing to win on the road, 31 games according to those with statistics. This has been so painful to all of us who follow the team across the country. Every weekend we scrounge around for every dollar so as to watch our beloved Mantengwane. However, Bosso will rise again"

he said.

At the green side of Harare, the grass is not so green as struggling Caps United almost broke their own losing record. Recently the Lyodd Chitembwe led side equalled their longest streak of seven matches and had to be saved from further embarrassment by grinding three points from Harare City FC.