Bees feeling the buzz in camp
WE are one big happy family” is the buzz word of Eastern Cape Bees FC team manager Zama Nene whenever in conversation about the club.
Just two years into the provincial soccer league and three years of their existence, the Bhisho-based side have established themselves as the dominant force in the Eastern Cape.
For the second year in succession, Bees have qualified for the Nedbank Cup at the expense of about 100 other clubs that took part in the qualifiers.
But not only that, Bees remain the only undefeated side in the ongoing ABC Motsepe League campaign.
Nene says there is nothing extra-ordinary that they do other than being “one big happy family” but the professional set up that Bees are is to the contrary.
On the Thursday of our visit to the club, Nene is my tour guide into the Bees stable.
We start at the club house in King William’s Town and it becomes evident immediately that Bees coach Chippa Njedu has a special relationship with his players, which explains why they want to play for him. Upon arrival at the club house situated in Reserve Road, we are welcomed by Njedu who is chilling outside the house – sharing a 2L of coke with a group of players.
I put it to Njedu that it must be nice being the only undefeated side in the second division and qualifying for the Nedbank Cup last 32 for the second time in a row.
His response: “The plan is to remain undefeated in the league for as long as we can and as for the Nedbank Cup we aim to at least get past the first round into the last 16 and anything else from will be a bonus.”
Inside the house on an extremely hot afternoon in King players relax in their rooms and move about inside braving the heat, most of them topless to cool off.
Others are chilling in the entertainment area, playing
In the background, Njendu; his assistant former Kaizer Chiefs defender Mokete Tsotesti; goalkeeper coach ex-Bloemfontein Celtic goal minder Thembalethu Moses are taking their charges through their paces.
With such an experienced technical team with impressive CVs no team would not conquer, I say to Nene but she shuts down that view.
“It is not about that. We are one big happy family.”
When Bees chairman Nceba Ntlantsana established the club three years ago, he had a plan and that plan looks well on track.
“Our vision was that after five years we should be in the NFD or the PSL. It is three years now and the team is doing well and you never know what will happen in the playoffs for promotion to the first division, so we are on track.”
Although the club was formed in Tsolo as Bees Stars, Ntlantsana says they changed to E C Bees so as to resonate the name with their vision of establishing a dominant side that will one day campaign in the PSL with only one intention – to fly the province’s flag high.
The relocation was a result of a lack of facilities in Tsolo that match their big vision. — zingisam@dispatch.co.za