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Fungai Muderere, Senior Sports Reporter

FORMER Bantu Rovers and Caps United midfielder Kevin Sibanda left the country on Monday to undergo a one-week trial stint with South African National First Division (NFD) side Tshamuka Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM).

Based in Polokwane, TTM were recently involved in the South African Premier Soccer League promotion-relegation play-offs where they failed to get a ticket to the topflight league.

Sibanda (27) is currently on the books of Southern Region Division Side CIWU and he was invited for trials together with his unheralded teammate and left-back, Gift Gumbo (24).

The trials were facilitated by Botswana-based player agent, Albert Mthembo, who said he was optimistic the duo will make the grade at TTM.

“I have worked with Kevin during the time he was playing in Botswana and I have been monitoring Gumbo for the last few months. I am very much confident that they are going to make it,” said Mthembo.

“They will start training today (yesterday) and the management has indicated that if they are satisfied, the trials will not to stretch for a week.”

Sibanda is a product of AmaZulu FC juniors. He played for Pioneer in Division Two in 2004 before leaving to pursue his secondary education at Pamushana High School in Masvingo.

He was part of the Pamushana team that lost to Churchill High School in the final of the Copa Coca-Cola Under-20 football tournament in 2008 before returning to Bulawayo to rejoin Bantu Rovers.

Sibanda also played for Tshintsha Guluva in the Premiership when they bought Eastern Lions’ franchise in 2009. — @FungaiMuderere