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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO City FC have signed veteran midfielders Thabani Goredema and Canaan Nkomo to strengthen their squad ahead of the Zifa Southern Region Division One League 2019 season.

City were relegated from the Premiership at the end of 2018 after three seasons in the topflight and aim to emulate Hwange by making a quick return to the Premiership.

Hwange were relegated in 2017, but are now back in the topflight league after clinching the Southern Region Division One league last year.

City finished eighth in their maiden Premiership season in 2016 and only just survived relegation in 2017 by finishing 14th before eventually getting the chop last year.

Goredema (33), formerly with Chicken Inn and Caps United, and Nkomo (32), who helped Hwange clinch the 2018 Zifa Southern region Division One League title, have been training with City for a week and seem to have impressed interim coach Try Ncube and his lieutenants Johannes Ngodzo and Golding Dube.

Chronicle Sport spotted former Highlanders, Masvingo, FC Platinum, Harare City and Tsholotsho midfielder Welcome Ndiweni, as well as utility player Physwell Madhazi, who was offloaded by Chicken Inn, training with the municipal side last week.

“Our pre-season training has been going on very well and to be afforded a chance to lead Bulawayo City on an interim basis is an honour for me. We are trying to assemble a side that will effectively compete in the Zifa Southern Region Division One League,” said Ncube.

“The turnout has been massive and the attitude of the players in terms of how they are applying themselves is really commendable. There are new faces, some of whom we’ve signed, while others are still trying their luck. I can confirm that Goredema and Nkomo have signed with the club. We will be making recommendations to the executive on who else to sign. One area we are keen on beefing up is the midfield because we lost quite a number of players.”

Midfielders that left City during the off-season break include Rainsome Pavari, who appears to have settled at Premiership champions FC Platinum, Sipho Ndlovu, who joined Chicken Inn, Tatenda Tavengwa and Admire Dzumbunu.

Innocent Kutsanzira is yet to report for duty, with the club interested in renewing his contract. Kutsanzira is one of the senior players that City are keen on retaining alongside Humphrey Ncube, who is expected to start training today.

Other players that have been retained include skipper Zibusiso Sibanda, former national team defender Zephaniah Ngodzo, utility player Crispen Ncube, ex-Highlanders defender Benson Phiri, attacking midfielder Lucky Nyathi, former Chicken Inn attacker Chris Samakweri, striker Trevor Ndlovu and goalkeeper Kelvin Nyoni.

Ncube understands his interim role, having assumed one at the club in 2016 after the club parted ways with Philani “Beefy” Ncube 17 games into the season.

Ncube took over the reins for the last 13 games of the 2016 season, winning five, losing five and drawing three times.

At the beginning of the 2017 season, City hired Mandla Mpofu and Ncube was pushed to the backroom staff to assume the position of fitness trainer.

– @ZililoR