Which team will take How Mine’s slot? Ben Manyenyeni
Ben Manyenyeni

Ben Manyenyeni

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
UNCERTAINTY abounds as it remains to be seen which club will fill in the slot left by How Mine FC who surrendered their Premier Soccer League franchise on Wednesday, despite the PSL emergency committee resolving to give the slot to Harare City.

In a statement yesterday, the PSL confirmed the official withdrawal of the gold miners, who give up their franchise after the company decided to concentrate on other corporate social responsibility programmes.

“The PSL emergency committee resolved to replace How Mine FC with Harare City, who finished 15th on the table last season. In the event that Harare City are unable to take up the slot left by How Mine, the team that finished on position 16 will be considered,” said the PSL in a statement.

Coalminers, Hwange FC, were the 16th placed team in the 18-team league last season.

However, Harare mayor Ben Manyenyeni, who last season fumed at the huge budget allocated to the football team at the expense of service delivery, said his position regarding the team had not changed, an indication that its return to the PSL was not guaranteed.

He also said his office had not been formally approached by anyone regarding taking over the How Mine franchise.

“My sentiments are well known; we are not in the business of bloated budgets for football. It’s an embarrassing allocation of very scarce resources,” said Manyenyeni yesterday.

Last season, an irate Manyenyeni lifted the lid on the spending spree at the club, saying the team’s officials blew a staggering $6 million of ratepayers’ money.

With the league championship winners getting $100 000 in prize money, the team splashed 60 times more than what they would have received had they won the league title.

The mayor also sarcastically wrote on his Facebook timeline that Harare City had more coaches “than underwear”.

“When do you residents ever get to praise us? After blowing $6 million chasing a ball all over the country, surely Hararians should congratulate us for being demoted from the Premier Soccer League,” wrote Mayor Manyenyeni in a post last season.

Meanwhile, sources yesterday said Southern Region Division One side Makomo and their Eastern Region counterparts Manica Diamonds were looking to take over the franchise in the event that Harare City and Hwange failed to do so. — @skhumoyo2000

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