Chiwororo booted out of Div One League

CHIWORORO have been booted out of the Southern Region Soccer League for failing to clear outstanding arrears as well as pay affiliation fee.

The club from Bulawayo’s Iminyela suburb has since been replaced by NRZ Leopards of Dete, who had paid part of their affiliation as well as player registration fees last month.

This means the Southern Region Division One league, which kicked off last weekend, will now run with 16 teams.

NRZ Leopards should brace for a hectic programme that will see them playing mid-week games to catch-up, as other teams have played three games.

The other team yet to kick the ball because of postponements is CIWU of Bulawayo.

“The issue of which team will be the 16th side to compete in the league has been resolved and Chiwororo have been given their letter (of dismissal). The league has been lenient with them, moving deadlines so that they could raise money to pay off the debt as well as their affiliation fees, but they failed. NRZ Leopards of Dete are coming in to fill the Chiwororo void,” said Augustine Ndlovu, the Zifa Southern Region administrator.

NRZ Leopards’ outstanding matches are Week 1’s tie against Makomo at home, an away trip to Plumtree for a date with Main Line and the weekend’s home tie against CIWU.

Unlike NRZ Leopards, whose postponement of games was due to the pending Chiwororo matter, CIWU’s opening two games against ZRP Bulawayo and Moto Moto were cancelled as their opponents were on national duty.

“We are going to have mid-week fixtures so that we clear the backlog,” said Ndlovu.

Meanwhile, Talen Vision toppled Hwange at the top of the table following an emphatic 4-1 win over new boys Main Line. Vision romped to a comfortable victory courtesy of a hat trick by Grey Kufandata and a strike by Ossie Miniru on Monday. Main Line got their consolation goal from Carlos Dube.

Vision are tied on seven points with Tsholotsho, who beat Hwange 1-0 in a clash of former Premiership sides at Raylton on Sunday. Gilbert Tapera was on target for Tsholotsho.

ZPC Hwange and Makomo shared the spoils after playing to a goalless draw.

Hwange side Moto Moto were beaten 0-1 by fellow army-sponsored side Indlovu Iyanyathela.

Goals by Lenon Muronzi and Naboth Tavarera powered Mosi Rovers to a 2-1 home win over Zim Leopards in Victoria Falls.