Zimbabwe: Sweet Kiss of Life

Source from:  The Herald 09/01/2009

Harare - MONOMOTAPA have received a major boost in their tough battle to turn around a Champions League campaign that has gone off the rails with a local tobacco company, Blend Value, injecting US$50 000 into their coffers ahead of their showdown against Congolese giants TP Mazembe at Rufaro tomorrow. The cash injection by the company a new player in the local tobacco industr is meant to boost morale among the Monomotapa players and help them focus on their assignment against the former African champions. Monoz have lost two matches on the trot and coach Rodwell Dhlakama has questioned the focus of his players on their continental mission amid the unrest torched by problems over the funding of an adventure that does not come cheap. The Monomotapa players staged a rebellion against their leadership, shortly after their arrival from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where they were handed a 0-5 defeat by two-time African champions TP Mazembe. That big defeat followed a 1-3 defeat at the hands of Heartlands of Nigeria. Dhlakama, whose boys now return to familiar home territory where they have turned Rufaro into their fortress and won all their Champions League games, believes his players have been distracted by the in-house turmoil. But, just when Monomotapa were beginning to feel that they have been abandoned by the Zimbabweans, Blend Value have come along to give them a big shot in the arm and try and boost the morale of the players ahead of tomorrow's big match. For, despite their heavy defeats in their last two matches, Monomotapa know that if they win their three home matches in the group, it could just be enough for them to qualify for the semi-finals. That huge task begins tomorrow with this tough task against a team that has seemingly found the going easy against Zimbabwean opposition and who, unlike Monomotapa, have no financial problems and are bankrolled by one of the wealthiest men on the continent. Moise Katumbi Chabwe, the billionaire businessman who owns TP Mazembe, is a wealthy man who has promised his team US$250 000, to be shared among the 18 players and their officials, should they beat Monomotapa at Rufaro tomorrow. Katumbi is also a politician, being the Governor of Katanga province in the DRC, and has interests in mining and transport. It has always been his mission, since he took over as the owner of TP Mazembe, to turn the Congolese giants into the champions of Africa and he believes that this year, his team has its best chance. Monomotapa is a team owned by Harare businessmen Solomon Mugavazi and Lysias Sibanda and, while they have tried their best and injected a fortune in the team, they certainly don't have the kind of financial resources that Katumbi has. But Mugavazi and Sibanda certainly have friends and, among the people they can call their partners, are the directors of Blend Value Tobacco, who yesterday unveiled a US$50 000 package to help Monomotapa in their hour of need. Blend Value Tobacco are the manufacturers of the Oya! brand, which they want to dominate the domestic market, and they have already announced that this is just the start of their big partnership with Zimbabwean football. Blend Value director Tawanda Chitapi, a prominent Harare lawyer, said his company decided to help Monomotapa because the Harare side was representing the country and needed the help of everyone in their bid to try and conquer the continent. "We decided to help Monomotapa so that they can sort out some of the challenges that they have been facing of late," said Chitapi. The Harare lawyer is also a passionate football fan who has worked, mostly behind the scenes, resolving some of the wrangles that have beset the national game. "It's important, in our small way, to play our part in the area of social responsibility. "After reading about Monomotapa, and the challenges they were facing with regard the need to raise money for their campaign, we decided to partner Zifa and assist the team. "We did that because Monomotapa's match against TP Mazembe is a national game and we decided to take care of some of the expenses that come with the holding of such a big match. "We now believe that, with our help, the players can now concentrate on giving their best and our aim is to continue sponsoring the team, depending on how things work out on the weekend." Monoz' director Mugavazi attended the ceremony, at Zifa House, where Blend Value unveiled their sponsorship package. The ceremony was also attended by Zifa chairman Wellington Nyatanga and Premier Soccer League boss Tapuwa Matangaidze whose top-flight league last week assisted Monomotapa by paying each players US$400. That helped in ending the stand-off between the Monomotapa players and their leadership and the club, in turn, decided to lift the suspension that had been imposed on skipper Mthulisi Maphosa, goalkeeper Godfrey Mangove, defender Lucky Simango and striker Daniel Zokoto. The four were accused of being the ringleaders in the industrial action. They have all since returned into the fold and should help Monomotapa in their quest to beat TP Mazembe at Rufaro tomorrow. Monomotapa secretary-general David Makombe paid tribute to Blend Value for their sponsorship package. "It is a very good development in the sense that since we started participating in the Champions League, no one was coming to help and we had to source for the resources on our own and use our own funds," said Makombe. "It makes us concentrate on playing football and we now have confidence of where we are going and we are very grateful for the support that has been given to us." Club captain, the inspirational Maphosa, said his boys had faced a lot of challenges but, with friends like Blend Value, they could concentrate on their game and they had the capacity to beat Mazembe. "We were facing a lot of problems and hopefully our problems are over," said Maphosa. Matangaidze hailed the move by Blend Value and said this showed there was value in domestic football. The PSL boss challenged Monomotapa to turn their campaign around and make the country and their sponsors proud with a morale-boosting win over Mazembe tomorrow. The Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters' Association yesterday issued a rallying cry to the country's football fans to come in their thousands and back the Monomotapa cause at Rufaro tomorrow. ZNSSA security chief Fortune Bgwoni also hailed Blend Value for leading the way in helping Monomotapa in their hour of need. "What is refreshing about Blend Value's support is that the company has come at the right time, when Monomotapa's campaign was being threatened by financial resources, to throw its full weight behind our champions," said Bgwoni. "We believe that that the fans and players should take note of these companies, which are putting their financial resources into football, and support them in whatever way they can. "If Blend Value are the tobacco company that is sponsoring football, we believe that football should also appreciate that support with the fans choosing their products ahead of their competition which might not be playing a part in the game. "If BancABC are the bank that is supporting football, we believe that the football community -- the fans, the coaches, the players and the administrators -- should also support that bank ahead of its competition when it comes to their investments. "The same goes for Nestle Zimbabwe and that is the only way that we can safeguard our sponsors and, when we do that, teams like Monomotapa will continue to get help and they can do far better in the Champions League. "The challenge is on Monomotapa to now put their house in order and, if they were good enough to beat Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia, then they should also be good enough to beat Mazembe and give our football a reason to smile once again. "So let's all go to Rufaro on Saturday, and the game starts early at 2.30pm, and support our boys --just the way they have been supported by Blend Value -- and I can tell you that we can win the big match and bounce back." Enditem