CASTLE Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL)-bound Green Fuels have made enquiries about three Bulawayo City players who they intend to assess and possibly sign for their maiden season in the topflight league.
The Lloyd Mutasa-coached Green Fuels are the champions of the 2022 Zifa Eastern Region Division One League and they have targetted midfielder Melikhaya Ncube, goalkeeper Reward Muza and defender Genius Mutungamiri after the Bulawayo side was relegated to the second tier league.
Correspondence from the Chisumbanje-based side Green Fuels dated November 16 to Bulawayo City read: “Good afternoon, I hope I find you well, we are kindly requesting for the following players to come and have trials with our team Green Fuel. We have seen their talents; our team was promoted to the Premier Soccer League this year: 1. Genius defender 2. Muza goalkeeper 3. Melikhaya midfielder.”
However, of the trio, only Ncube is a Bulawayo City player while Muza and Mutungamiri were on loan to the local authority side from Highlanders and FMSA respectively, with the loan deals expiring on December 31 this year.
City general manager Sikhumbuzo Ndebele yesterday professed ignorance about Green Fuels’ advances.
“If there is interest (from Green Fuels) I am not aware. There are things that happen outside but for now internally we are not aware,” Ndebele said.
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Other Bulawayo City players who could be targetted by top league clubs include former Chicken Inn defender Lukas Sibanda and 21-year-old Mpumelelo Bhebhe who broke into the Premiership with Bantu Rovers in 2017 when he was only 16 years old.
Rodi Sibanda, on loan from Highlanders, is likely to make a return to the Bulawayo giants.
Green Fuels are an ambitious side that has Joseph Takaringofa as assistant coach to Mutasa while Albery Mabika is also in the technical set-up.
Some of the familiar names at the club include Ishmael Lawe, Livingstone Genti, Obey Mwerahari and Cleopas Kapupurika.
In the Southern Region, Hwange bounced back to the PSL after clinching the Division One league title while in the Central Region it was Sheasham who took the honours.
Simba Bhora are the Northern Region champions and also make it to the PSL while local authority sides Bulawayo City and Harare City as well as prison sides WhaWha and Tenax were relegated.
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