Benza continues to defy odds
IT’S a landmine laden terrain that has claimed a number of scalps. An environment that doesn’t favour individually owned football clubs as a number, including giants like CAPS United, are struggling to stay afloat.
Some like Amazulu, Masvingo United, Lengthens, Monomotapa, Eagles and Shooting Stars closed shop.
It has become a tough operating environment, what with Covid-19 also having negatively impacted the domestic football industry.
Against all odds, Innocent Benza remains determined to last the distance and turn his Herentals project into a football empire.
Apart from owning the flagship Premiership franchise Herentals, Benza also runs men’s teams in the NRSL and the Harare Province Division Two as well as a Women’s side that competes in the Zimbabwe Women’s League’s top-flight.
He might have been on the wrong end of a barrage of criticism for continuing to play in the Premiership at 50, but the businessman cum-player has turned the negative vibes into motivation.
Benza reveals that his son Tinotenda, who plays in the Premiership side has also kept him going.
“My biggest motivation to play soccer at 50 has been my son Tinotenda Benza, I have been a practical inspiration to him in the field and he always pushes me to continue. I could say our motivation is mutual.
“As long as I am still fit, I will be on the field. I have ridden over negativity by some people and I choose to focus.
“I just want to acknowledge the grace of God that has kept me fit. I am fit for generations,” Benza told Sunday Mail Sport.
“My love for football can be traced back to the 90s when I used to participate in the boys’ soccer team at St Augustine’s Tsambe Mission school in Nyanga.
“After school, I couldn’t pursue my soccer career because it had been superseded by other commitments and not to mention the lack of clear opportunities,” he said.
After successfully setting up his education business with the Herentals Group of Schools, Benza decided to revisit his football passion.
That is when he turned his then social club into a professional outfit.
“Around 2008, I decided to create a football social club from students and a few teachers.
“I then decided to venture into professional soccer around 2013 and we had a wide selection of stars from students from our various centres.“The idea of four football teams was not done overnight. It grew over the years and now I am proud to be in ownership of four talented teams involved in professional football.”
Benza, however, admits that it has not been an easy task with a lot of challenges involved in running even just one football franchise.
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