Bantu Rovers players head to Europe for trials THE national Under-20 and Bantu Rovers captain Nqobizitha Masuku and utility player Kelvin ‘Skopo’ Sibanda have been invited for trials in Europe. Sources within Bantu Rovers said Sibanda, who can comfortably play in any infield position, is heading to Belgium while Masuku will be going to Germany. Masuku will be returning to Europe for the second time this year having attended a three-week trial at Cercle Brugge in Belgium at the beginning of the year. He is heading to Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach who finished their season on position eight on their table. According to sources at Bantu Rovers, Masuku, who FC Platinum development coach Jairos Tapela had wanted to join the Zvishavane club at the beginning of the year, had impressed the Belgian side who also wanted to have a look at him during winter. The 19-year-old former Mzilikazi High School pupil is said to have arrived at Cercle Brugge during winter and the coaches noted that he could not thread long passes as he was not familiar with the cold. Masuku and Sibanda are not the first players from Bantu Rovers to get an invite for trials in Europe especially the top Belgian side as Marvellous Nakamba and Danny Phiri once went for attachments at Cercle Brugge. “The club is already looking for players to replace the two and beef the squad ahead of the remainder of the season because possibilities are high that Nqo (Masuku) and Skopo (Sibanda) might be going for good. I think now the club is busy organising visas and they should be leaving anytime now,” said a source. Bantu Rovers seem to be enjoying cordial relations with Cercle Brugge who signed former Highlanders midfielder Honour Gombami in 2007. Warriors’ left-footed defender-cum-midfielder Vusa Nyoni also had a stint at Cercle Brugge with Obadiah Tarumbwa who spent just a season at the Belgian side. In an interview yesterday, Bantu Rovers’ spokesman Wilbert Sibanda declined to comment on the two players’ intended European moves. “It is not a secret that as Bantu Rovers we have pleasant relations with Cercle Brugge and that is why every season our players get invited for training stints once in a while. However, this is not to confirm that we have any players going there now because our focus is on playing our Division One Soccer League matches and see where we are at the end of the season. “If ever anything comes about any of our players moving, you will be the first to know,” said Sibanda. If Masuku makes the grade in Germany, he will become the second player from Bantu Rovers who the club nurtured and later moved abroad after Nakamba who joined Tshintsha Guluva from Highlanders and spent a number of seasons at Bantu Rovers before going to France. The gritty Masuku, gifted with commanding his midfield and giving cover for his defence, has been a fundamental component at Bantu Rovers. The amount of time he spent in Belgium at the beginning of the year has seen him develop into a great player for the better part of Bantu Rovers’ first half of the season campaign in the Zifa Southern Region Division One Soccer League. As for Kelvin, the former Pamushana High School and Sobukazi star, he has been a vital cog at Bantu Rovers since its formation, leaving the club to join Zimbabwe Saints in the Premiership in 2011 for a season. He has scored brilliant goals for Tshintsha Guluva and his ability to play in any position and strike long range shots at goal comfortably with either feet has won him lots of admiration.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Jun 2013 08:01:07 +0000
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