Iqembu lomdlalo wenguqu ele Bantu Rovers yilo eliphutshe liphezu kwengalane kusigaba se Southern Region Soccer League ekufikeni komlindi kwemidlalo yeDivision One ephele ngempelaviki.
Iqembu le Bantu Rovers liqede imidlalo yalo lilemiklomelo engamatshumi ayisithupha lane (64) njalo lilingene ngemiklomelo leqembu elihlezi endaweni yesibili ele Bulawayo Chiefs kodwa ele Bantu Rovers letheswe inkatha ngoba lihlohle amagoli amanengi laphinda lahlohlwa kalutshwane kulele Bulawayo Chiefs.
Umgcinisihlalo weqembu le Bantu Rovers uEnerst Maphepha Sibanda uthi ukunqoba bekuvele kuyinjongo yabo ngesikhathi kusungulwa imidlalo yalonyaka.
“Vele ukuwina yinto eqakathekileyo njalo siqalisa labafana bami sahlala phansi sathi injongo yethu ngeyokuthatha isicoco se Southern Region. Yikho okwakhathesi ngijabule kakhulu njalo ngibafisela inhlanhla enkulu, ngiyazi silomqeqetshi omncane uJohannes Ngodzo kodwa sizazama ukuba simsekele ukuze izifiso zakhe zonke ziphumelele.”
Iqembu le Bantu Rovers libunjwe ngomnyaka ka 2008 njalo ngomnyaka ka 2009 lithenge indawo yeqembu le Eastern Lions langena kusigaba saphezulu ese Premier Soccer League.
Lihlale okweminyaka emibili kuPSL lagunyulwa layadlala kusigaba sika division one ngomnyaka ka 2011.
Liphenduke kusigaba saphezulu ngomnyaka ka 2014 ngemva kokuthenga indawo ye Bulawayo Chiefs kodwa lizithole selidlala kusigaba sika division one njalo ngomnyaka ka 2015 ngemva kokugunyulwa njalo kusigaba saphezulu ekupheleni kwesizini ka 2014.
Umqeqetshi uNgodzo uthi kuyamjabulisa ukuba nguqeqetshi wakuqala ukuba angenise iqembu le Bantu kusigaba saphezulu lingazange lehlukane lemali lithenga indawo kuPSL.
“Thina sijabule kakhulu siyi Bantu Rovers ngoba ngokwakuqala ukuthatha isicoco ngoba kwezinye izikhathi besisenza okokuthenga ukuze sidlale ku PSL kodwa khathesi sikulwele sibambene abadlali labaqeqetshi kanye lenkokheli yeqembu.”
Amanye amaqembu anqobe kwezinye izigaba ngagoqela ele Shabanie Mine elinqobe kusigaba se Central Region kanye lele Black Rhinos elinqobe ku Northern Region.
Intshantshu ze Eastern Region kazikazakali njengoba kulokukhonona phezu kokuba iqembu le Yaddah Gunners lithandwa okwedlula amanye amaqembu adlala kusigaba esifanayo.
Amaqembu amane anqobe kuzigaba lezi bekumele angqikilane kuthi amabili azaqeda imidlalo ehlezi phezu kwengalane kube yiwo athola ithuba lokuyadlala kusigaba se PSL kodwa okwamanje akwaziwa kumbe limidlalo izaqhubekela phambili loba hatshi.
Lokhu ngemva kokuba inkokheli yenhlanganiso ye Zifa isuke yatshila izikeyi yaquma ukuba amaqembu lawa anqobe kuzigaba ezine kumele ahle ayedlala ku PSL lakho osekumele kuphume khona amaqembu amane.
USibanda uthi balinde ukuzwa ukuba yikuyini okuzathatha indawo phezu kwalimidlalo.
“Okwakhathesi ngithi uma sizakuya kuma play – offs asihambeni siyeqeda lumlandu esibhekane lawo kodwa singavele singene ku PSL sesisiyahlala asisaphumi futhi.”
Iziphathamandla zenhlanganiso ye Zifa zithi loludaba lokuba kuzakuba khona ama play – off loba hatshi luzahlaziywa ensukwini ezilandelayo.