The chairman of the club, Mr Eric Muneri
Sport - Date: 17 June 2011
One of the local Vodacom Promotional League sides, Vhembe Football Club, is up for grabs.
This was revealed by the chairman of the club, Mr Eric Muneri. According to him, the decision to get rid of the franchise was reached during a management meeting that was held over the weekend.
Muneri indicated that the decision to sell the franchise was influenced by the fact that the chances for gaining promotion to the National First Division (NFD) are slim. “After a close scrutiny of the league, we have come to the conclusion that gaining promotion from the Vodacom Promotional League is like a camel going through the eye of a needle,” said Muneri.
When asked how much they will ask from prospective buyers, Muneri said that this was a matter between the seller and the prospective buyer.
The history of Vhembe Football Club goes back to eight years ago when the team gained promotion from the SAB League. At that stage, they were known as Masemola Diarora Football Club. A group of local businessmen bought the franchise of the club and brought it to the Vhembe District. The late Mr Joseph “Tycoon” Mapfulagasha bought the club’s franchise and renamed it All Nation Shining Stars.
When Mr Mapfulagasha passed away two years ago, another business consortium took over as the new owners. The club was renamed Vhembe FC early last year.
Vhembe were the hot favourites for the league championship last season, but they ended up disappointing the team’s supporters as they finished their league programme in the third position on the log, with Baroka FC winning the championship.
When asked about their plans in the event that the club’s franchise is not bought before the activities for the new season start, Muneri said that they were no longer interested in running a Vodacom Promotional League team. Prospective buyers can contact Muneri at 0834572205.