The ManicaPost
Senior Reporter
EASTERN Region Division One League title aspirants, Buffaloes’ chairman, Tendai Chitowa, believes his team has what it takes to end the season on top of the log and return to the top-flight league for the 2018 season.
Buffaloes were relegated from the Premiership at the end of the 2015 Castle Lager Premiership season and their first attempt to make a quick return to the top-flight league ended up in smoke after Harare side, Yadah Stars, won the league title on the last day of the season.
2017 marks Buffaloes’ second attempt to gain Premiership promotion.
Buffaloes held their annual closed door Annual General Meeting on Wednesday afternoon at HQ 3 Brigade where members of the executive, supporters’ representatives as well as leadership within the military in Mutare converged to map the way forward ahead of a potentially gruelling 2016 Eastern Region Division One season.
The Mutare army outfit’s efforts to regain Premiership status was, however, dealt a big blow following the departure of skilful midfielder, Roy ‘Apama’ Mwenga, together with pencil slim, yet slippery, Farai Banda, to Harare-based sister outfit, Black Rhinos.
As if that was not enough, Buffaloes lost Simbarashe ‘Smallie’ Nyauzima who collapsed during pre-season training at Mutare Showgrounds and died on the way to hospital recently.
Nonetheless, chairman, Chitowa, believes that the departure of the two players to Black Rhinos will not deter them from attaining their goals.
“Yes, they were valuable players to us and we would have wanted them to be with us this year, but all the same Buffaloes has a big player base. We sincerely hope that we will be able to have equally fine replacements for the two.
“We are forging ahead with our Premiership promotion dream and we have learnt from our mistakes last year. It will not be easy, I know, but I think we are equal to the task,’ said Chitowa.
Buffaloes have already started their pre-season preparations ahead of the start of the Zifa Eastern Region Division One 20217 League season.
The team has since relocated to Rusape’s Vengere Stadium as their new home ground citing an increased number of ZIFA Eastern Region Division One teams using Mutare’s Sakubva Stadium as their home ground
