Hozana Citizens aim for elite league

The newly formed football club, Hozana Citizens FC, will be campaigning in the Premier Soccer League in five years' time. That is if the words of the team’s general manager, Mr Simon Mavikane, are anything to go by.

According to Mavikane, the club was formed two months ago. Realizing that it would take them much longer to gain promotion to the country’s elite division if they started to play in the local football association, the management decided to buy the SAB League status from Phaphazela Bayern Munich.

According to Mavikane, the price of the franchise of the team included all the players. They beefed up the squad which they purchased from Bayern Munich with a number of talented players from their home village, Shihosana. He added that they had drawn up a five-year plan, at the end of which they wanted to see the team campaigning in the Premier Soccer League or the National First Division at least.

He mentioned that they had already played 16 rehearsal matches during the past months as part of their preparations for the league matches. Of the 16 matches they had played, they won 14, drew one and lost one. What makes Mr Mavikane feel that they had assembled a formidable squad is the fact that two of the teams they had beaten, Giyani Hotspurs and Bilika All Stars, are affiliates of the Safa second division.

Mavikane said that they were still searching for a dedicated sponsor. The management currently comprises three members: Dr Rhulani Shiburi (executive chairman), Mr Simon Mavikane (general manager) and the organizer, Mr Steven Ndhambi. They will utilize the Shihosana grounds and the Malamulele Stadium as their home grounds.

According to Mr Mavikane, some of the players on whom they will pin their hopes when the league activities commence in three weeks' time include Bob Maluleke and Mayambela Hlungwane (midfielders), Dalton Mavikane (right back) and the keeper, Colly Chauke.

Date:22 August 2014

By: Frank Mavhungu

Frank is a Human Resources Manager at the Department of Public Works in Limpopo. He is the longest serving correspondent of the Mirror, having joined us at the end of 1990.  He mainly writes sports reports and resides at Tsianda Village. In 2004, Frank won the National Castle League Award, an award for the best reporter in the SAB league in South Africa.

Read: 3241