What next for Chibuku Super Cup?
PREMIER Soccer League chairman, Farai Jere, says he will convene an urgent executive meeting to discuss how to manage Chibuku Super Cup matches in light of tighter lockdown measures starting today.
President Mnangagwa yesterday announced a raft of new measures to help the country deal with the latest wave of Covid-19 infections.
The measures include a 6pm to 6am curfew.
With Chibuku Super Cup matches ending at 5pm, and players and coaches only leaving the stadiums about 45 minutes later after media commitments, many will be caught on the wrong side of the restrictions.
The second round of the country’s biggest knock-out football competition was set to get underway today.
It was delayed for about two weeks when the national game was suspended following a surge in Covid-19 infections.
However, the PSL were then given the green light, by the Sports Commission, to complete the remainder of the tournament.
The return, itself, was already a complicated one, after the league’s leaders were forced to postpone the match between ZPC Kariba and Harare City which had been scheduled for today.
The Kariba side are believed to have recorded about five Covid-19 cases in their camp when they tested their players and coaching staff.
The resort town of Kariba has been a Covid-19 hotspot and is under a localised lockdown.
“This serves to advise that the Chibuku Super Cup match between ZPC Kariba and Harare City has been postponed to July 7, 2021,’’ league spokesperson, Kudzai Bare, said in a statement.
“This has been necessitated by need for ZPC Kariba players, and officials, to comply with Covid-19 protocols, regarding self isolation.
“We remind clubs to strictly adhere to the Covid-19 protocols.’’
Yesterday, league boss, Jere, said they would discuss the way forward in the wake of the latest protocols.
“The pronouncement has been made just now, I don’t know how the matches will be affected and it’s something that I will need to discuss with my colleagues,’’ he said.
It remains to be seen, whether the PSL will be forced to revise their starting times, to give their players, and officials, enough time to get home without breaking curfew.
Yesterday, Yadah coach, Genesis Mangombe, said they will continue to prepare for their scheduled game against CAPS United, at the National Sports Stadium, today.
He said until the authorities decide otherwise, they will have to focus on playing the game and give the Green Machine a good run for their money.
“You can see what is happening in the ongoing European Championships. Big teams are being booted out by non-favourites,” said Mangombe.
“That means it is a game of football, anything can happen.
“This is a tournament and, in a tournament, you only need to hit the net, if you don’t, it is simple, you don’t qualify for the next round.
“We have been working on the mental strength of the boys. We have to retain maximum concentration.
“We have to minimise the number of mistakes we make on the field and all that has to do with the psychological aspect of the game.’’
Dynamos are scheduled to take on Herentals at 1pm tomorrow.
Whether that game will also go ahead, as scheduled, will depend on the determination by the league’s leaders.
The PSL leadership have been working closely with their parent body, ZIFA, to try and ensure the Chibuku Super Cup goes on smoothly, in these challenging times.
They have also been working closely with the Sports Commission and, in the first round of the fixtures, only three Covid-19 cases were reported, among the players, and officials.
The Chibuku Super Cup is crucial in that it is being used as a pilot project, to try and see if the league championship can be held this year, under the circumstances.
The lower leagues have also been banking on the success of the tournament, hoping that this would help them get the green light to resume their programmes.