Prayer for quick end to title conflict
THE Castle Lager Premiership is pinning its hopes for a timely start of the 2024 season on a quick end to the Eastern Region Soccer League title conflict.
The long dragging deliberations on who will gain promotion into the Premier Soccer League between Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) prison wardens, Tenax FC and Bikita Minerals FC, has left the league authorities without an exact date on when the league matches will roll into life.
Plans were that the 2024 football season will commence with a clash between Dynamos and Ngezi Platinum Stars in the Castle Challenge Cup tomorrow (Saturday) at Baobab Stadium in Mhondoro-Ngezi.
Following this, the Premier Soccer League 2024 season matches were set to kick-off on February 24, a week later, to avoid season fixtures congestion as the year progresses.
However, PSL chairman, Farai Jere told Post Sport that the season opener pitting Dynamos and Ngezi Platinum will go ahead as planned while they wait for the outcome of the hearing on the Eastern
Region Soccer League title fiasco.
“As it stands we are in limbo on the date for the start of the actual 2024 season league matches. Yes, the season opener pitting Dynamos and Ngezi Platinum will go ahead, but we cannot give the dates when the actual league matches will commence.
“We are only awaiting to hear the outcome of the deliberations of the Eastern Region Soccer League title hearing. That will determine the way forward.
“The issue rests with ZIFA, and we can only pray that it will be resolved quickly so that we move ahead. Given a choice, we do not want to delay the start of the season so that we do not congest the league matches,” said Jere.
On a different, yet closely related matter, Post Sport understands that inspection for match venues for PSL matches are ongoing and hopes are high in Manicaland that Sakubva Stadium will finally return to the list of match venues appropriate to host top-flight league encounters this year.
In a separate interview, PSL spokesperson, Kudzai Bare, said while the issue of match venues is out of their purview, they understand inspections are currently underway.
“The FIB can best speak on issues related to stadia availability and adequacy. However, we are made to understand that inspection of different match venues across the country is ongoing and we wait to be furnished with details about which club will be using which stadium as per their approval,” said Bare.