PSL resumption on course
THE 2024 Premier Soccer League season looks set to roar into life as scheduled on February 24 as the ZIFA Normalisation Committee put in place the First Instance Board which will ensure that stadiums and all 18 top-flight teams are compliant to requirements.
With the PSL announcing that the new football term will commence on February 24, a week after the Castle Challenge Cup between last season’s Chibuku Super Cup winners Dynamos and league champions Ngezi Platinum Stars at Baobab, it was looking increasingly unlikely given that the FIB had not yet been constituted.
The FIB is responsible for examining grounds that should meet the minimum standards as well as ensuring that clubs adhere to the club licensing requirements as per international expectations.
The NC has put together a three-member committee to drive the FIB with Shariff Mussa retained as the chairman of the arm.
He will work with CAF general coordinators Gaylord Madhunguza and Violet Jubane.
ZIFA chief executive officer Yvonne Manwa said the FIB will be starting their work at the earliest convenience.
“The First Instance Body has already been constituted and it will be starting its club licensing compliance processes at the earliest convenience to allow league competitions to commence as scheduled,” she said.
“The FIB’s work is not only limited to reviewing stadium inspection reports; it will also assess clubs” compliance (using) all the club licensing criteria based on agreed standards for our leagues.
“We are retaining Shariff Mussa as the chairperson for continuity and also because of his vast experience as a CAF general coordinator.
“We have also roped in other CAF general coordinators, Gaylord Madhunguza and Violet Jubane who have done similar work on the region and (across) the continent.”
Premiership teams are already finalising their pre-season preparations as the season looks set to start as soon as the FIB completes its inspection.
With the FIB not in place, the proposed Harare Mayor’s Challenge Cup between giants Dynamos and CAPS United scheduled for Rufaro on Sunday was put on ice with the former pulling out of the tie citing the unavailability of a “homologation report” from the FIB.
But the Glamour Boys and Makepekepe as well as Herentals will be keeping their fingers crossed in the hope that Rufaro passes the test.
With the National Sports Stadium unlikely to be available due to scheduled renovation works until around May, Harare-based teams will be hoping that Rufaro gets the green light to host top-tier matches.
The venue last staged Premiership games in 2019 and has been failing eligibility tests over the past four years.
The capital clubs will also be hoping that Prophet Magaya’s Heart Stadium will be made available as they could all end up using that newly-built facility.
Yadah Stars, who survived relegation on the last day of the season last year after beating Dynamos 2-1 are the fourth team from Harare in the top-flight and they will likely be using their Heart Stadium.
There was a stadium crisis in Harare last year resulting in seven teams including Dynamos, CAPS United, Cranborne Bullets, Yadah, Herentals, Simba Bhora, and Black Rhinos looking for homes far away from the capital.
Simba Bhora’s Wadzanai Stadium is in the final phases of construction and Simba Bhora who played all their 34 league games in their debut season outside Shamva will be hoping to have their ground cleared for top-flight matches.
Just like Simba Bhora, Manica Diamonds also spent the entire 2023 season playing away from their Sakubva home as the stadium was undergoing renovations which are being finalised right now.
And they will also be praying that the venue gets the thumbs up.