Ngqabutho Moyo Sports Reporter
TSHOLOTSHO Football Club chairman Mlamuli Phiri yesterday dismissed rumours that the club is negotiating to sell their Premier League franchise to the Prophetic Healing Deliverance Ministries leader Prophet Walter Magaya.
Social media has been awash with news that the flamboyant young Prophet had set his eyes on the newly promoted outfit. Magaya finances former Premiership outfit Gunners who play in the Zifa Northern Region Division One League and the Man of God is reportedly eyeing a Premiership franshise.
However, Phiri, himself a pastor, refuted the claims and said the club will not be sold to anyone, adding that no one had even approached them with the idea, Prophet Magaya included.
“Those people do not know what they are talking about, we are not selling and have not received any offers from anyone who wants to buy the club,” he said.
Gunners Football club president Cuthbert Chitima said Magaya’s plans were to buy a franchise that would have been promoted to the Premier League.
“The plan was to buy a franchise from one of the teams that have been promoted, if Gunners failed to make it into the Premier League, which as you know was the case,” said Chitima.
He dismissed the rumours linking them to Tsholotsho FC. “Those are mere rumours we have never approached Tsholotsho FC with an offer to buy the club but we just put it out that we are willing to buy a franchise of any promoted team,” said Chitima.
Phiri expressed the club’s interests on building a home stadium in Tsholotsho near their home fans.
However close sources at the club revealed that the Stadium might not be ready by March next year and therefore, the team could temporarily switch base to either Colliery Stadium in Hwange or White City Stadium.