Hre City pursue Forest deal
HARARE City have decided to pursue the twinning deal with English Championship football side Nottingham Forest on their own.
The deal was initiated by former coach, Mark Harrison, who left the municipality side in July in a huff.
Harare City’s marketing manager, Osborne Maranda, yesterday revealed they were now in direct contact with the Nottingham club.
“We will forever be grateful to our former coach, Mark Harrison, for starting this noble issue,’’ said Maranda.
“We parted ways towards the mid-season but he had already made the groundwork for the twinning deal.
“As Harare City Football Club, we weren’t in direct touch with Nottingham Forest as Harrison was mostly involved with the modalities.
“Of course, after Harrison departed, we had to look for alternatives and I am glad to announce that the deal is on. We will soon be visiting Nottingham and they will reciprocate the gesture in due course.”
The two sides had preliminarily agreed to make Warriors defender Tendayi Darikwa, who plies his trade at Nottingham Forest, the ambassador of the partnership.
“As a way to go, it will make a lot of sense for us to make Darikwa the ambassador of the deal.
“Of course, he is injured but he is on the books of Nottingham Forest . . . ”
Harrison, who hails from Derby, a city closer to Nottingham, started the partnership talks between the two clubs early this year while on his vacation.
He met with the chief executive of the Nottingham Sports Community, Graham Moran, who agreed in principle to work towards the union. Harare City are back in the Chibuku Super Cup spotlight when they face holders Triangle in a rearranged quarter-final at Rufaro this afternoon.
The Lloyd Chitembwe-coached side are the most successful team in the country’s biggest knock-out tournament that comes with the sole ticket to represent Zimbabwe in the CAF Confederation Cup.
Winners will face Ngezi Platinum Stars in the semi-final this weekend.
Triangle outplayed them in the final at Gibbo last year.
Chibuku Super Cup Quarter-final fixture Today: Harare City v Triangle (Rufaro)