Chisumbanje community basking in glory over Green Fuel’s quest for promotion

The Chisumbanje ethanol plant is the biggest of it’s kind on the African continent.

Located in Chisumbanje, 464 kilometers from the capital Harare, the chemical plant is simply mesmerizing.

It thrives on leveraging internationally accepted standards and work on the plant goes for 24 hours with a work-shift in between.

It has an endless carpet of sugarcane and the operations base for the company, Green Fuel, stretches up to 40 000 hectares.

The plant though, is not the only big project at the company —there is a football project which has got those who call Chisumbanje home, animated.

Green Fuel Football Club is dominating the Eastern Region Division One and on course to win the sole ticket to the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

The team is under the guidance of veteran former Dynamos and FC Platinum coach Lloyd ‘Samaita’ Mutasa.

Their 3-0 demolition of Wangu Mazodze at the Green Fuel arena last week was their 18th win in 23 matches.

They are 11 points clear of second-placed Mutare City Rovers with seven games to go. Green Fuel need to win three of those games to seal promotion and only complacency of the highest order can prevent that form happening.

Mutasa’s charges have not tasted defeat throughout the campaign.

The prospect of premiership football coming to Chisumbanje has further fueled the passion fans in the area have for Green Fuel.

“The idea of our team playing in the Premier Soccer League gives me goosebumps,” admits Tanyaradzwa Chirombe, a fan of the team.

“I cannot believe we will be hosting Dynamos here, it’s crazy. But for now, we don’t want to count eggs as chickens, we still have a job to complete to get promoted,” she added.

Simba Chirawu, another Green Fuel fan, hailed the team’s dominance and equated Mutasa to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

“In Samaita (Mutasa), we have our own Pep Guardiola. In modern football, going this long without tasting defeat is unbelievable and only a genius can manage that,” said Chirawu with an excited look on his face.

Mutasa, though flattered by the compliments, is taking very little credit for the success of his side.

“All this is made possible because of God,” he said.

“So I continue to give glory to God. May I say it’s an honor to be likened to such a great coach, I am very thankful to the Chisumbanje community because we are in it together.

“When we started, the vision was only to get into the PSL and then this going far without defeat is only but a miracle from God (that’s God’s doing),” added the former Warriors assistant coach.

No professional football team in Zimbabwe has ever gone for a whole season without tasting defeat but Mutasa is not bothered by that record, he simply wants his charges to be promoted.

“All I want is promotion into the PSL,” the coach said.

Green is a color associated with nature, good luck and growth, and the Chisumbanje community relates to that in the context of Green Fuel’s title charge and quest for promotion.

Copyright © Soccer24, 2024. All Rights Reserved
NEWS MATCHCENTRE TABLES VIDEOS