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Sports Reporter
ZIFA Southern Region side Mpumalanga FC is appealing for funding for its 2015 campaign.
A spokesperson for the club, Mqhelisi Ndlovu, said the team which has a $3,000 debt from last year, was facing serious financial challenges.He said at the weekend they played host to a tournament which they dubbed “Uniting Communities.”

It attracted teams from Hwange, Binga and Dete. Scores of Hwange residents came to watch the social teams battle it out.

“The tournament was held under the theme ‘Uniting communities’ and was meant to fundraise for the team. It’s not a secret that we’re facing financial challenges and last season we struggled throughout to meet our financial obligations. We don’t have a sponsor at the moment and we hope that we’ll get one before the beginning of the season. We owe Zifa almost $3,000 so it will be difficult for them to allow us to compete in the league,” said Ndlovu.

He said the club urgently needs money to register players and pay affiliation fees.

Ndlovu said the club was therefore appealing to local companies and individuals to assist financially.

“This is one of the oldest teams in Hwange so we can’t let it disappear like that,” he said.

The team was founded in 1984 when the suburb was barely two years old. It joined ZPC (Hwange), Black Aces later called Raylton, DR Hendry, Prisons, Rusupuko and ZRP among local clubs that did not belong to Hwange Colliery.

Mpumalanga has produced players that have gone on to play Premiership football.

Hwange was represented by Mpumalanga and Makwika with Dete Social and Binga Boozers completing the quartet.

Ndlovu appealed to residents and the business community to support the club. The team will travel to Bulawayo six times and twice to Victoria Falls this season. They need money for registration, affiliation fees, transport, uniforms, balls and food.

All along they have survived on handouts including donations from local companies.

Ndlovu described the community’s reaction to the fundraising event as overwhelming. He said big crowds came to watch the two-day extravaganza.

Mpumalanga emerged at the top of the standings followed by Binga, with Dete coming third and at the bottom was Makwika.

Results

Dete 3-2 Mpumalanga, Binga 2-1 Makwika, Binga 2-0 Dete, Mpumalanga 6-3 Makwika, Dete 2-1 Makwika, Mpumalanga 2-0 Binga