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Mainline FC co-director Jonathan Ndlovu (right) presents part of soccer equipment to the club’s captain Victor Nkomo (centre) while team manager Onias Nyathi looks on

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
AMBITIOUS Plumtree-based Mainline FC have set their sights on winning the Zifa Bulawayo Province Division Two League in their debut season to compete in the First Division.

The Division Two fixtures for 2017 are expected to be released tomorrow.

Mainline FC co-sponsor Jonathan Ndlovu, a South Africa-based businessman with interests in the construction industry and real estate, believes the club is capable of bringing topflight football to Plumtree.

Ndlovu funds the club with Plumtree businessman Mkhulunyelwa Nkomo.

“After the last edition of the Jonah Football tourney won by Kombani at Nyabane in Bulilima on Christmas Day last year, I decided to look for a partner based here in Plumtree so that we take the issue of setting a club seriously. It’s a pity that despite Plumtree having abundant talent, it doesn’t have a football team competing in the First Division. Some of the talented boys from Plumtree have given up on playing competitive football by either choosing to play social soccer or going outside the country,” said Ndlovu.

“What this project (Mainline FC) seeks to achieve is to give promising youngsters an opportunity to play in the First Division and even go on to play in the Premiership.

“Through this team, we will be playing our part in talent development and taking the boys off the streets. However, the main objective is to win promotion into the First Division in our first season.”

Ndlovu, who was in the country for the Easter holidays, presented the club with six match balls, playing kit, cones, bibs and goal nets.

Mainline FC, who took over the vacant Zifa Bulawayo Province Division Two League slot, registered Dingumuzi Stadium in Plumtree as their preferred home ground, but will play most of their home matches in Figtree, about 40km from Bulawayo.

“Mainline FC took over one of the vacant slots, while the second one was taken over by Ntabazinduna, who relinquished their franchise in the Zifa Southern Region. We are excited to have a team from Plumtree joining us for the 2017 season. Plumtree has not had a team playing in a professional league in a long time and we hope Mainline FC will assist our league spread the game in that part of the country,” said Zifa Bulawayo Province acting chairman Francis Ntuta.

“In the event Figtree Stadium is given the green light to host games, then visiting teams will have to play there because the venue falls within the stipulated 40km radius,” he said.

@ZililoR