EDITORIAL COMMENT: PSL, Zifa must resolve promotion dispute expeditiously Mr Kennedy Ndebele
PSL chief executive officer, Mr Kennedy Ndebele

PSL chief executive officer, Mr Kennedy Ndebele

THE 2016 season, in football memory, will be remembered as the year that Caps United clinched their fifth league title in their history.

It’s also a year in which the most lethal striker, for lack of a better term, scored the lowest number of goals in the history of the Premiership and possibly since Zimbabwe gained Independence in 1980.

Caps United’s Leonard Tsipa scored only 11 times and for his efforts he was rewarded with $4 000 by sponsors, Delta Beverages, through their Castle Lager brand.

Makepekepe clinched the league title on the last day of the season with a 1-0 win over Chapungu United despite their closest rivals FC Platinum posting a 3-0 win over Tsholotsho on the same day, ending a highly competitive season.

On their way to victory, The Green Machine, under their former skipper Lloyd Chitembwe, scored 42 goals, three less than 2015 champions Chicken Inn. Caps United’s goals were 9,33 percent of the total number of goals scored in the league this season which stands at 450. The figure is a massive 52 goals less than the 2015 figure.

The season was generally a peaceful one administratively that is, with the fixtures running smoothly as per calendar, a huge thumbs up to the leadership, especially the secretariat who run the day to day activities of the league. It is the reason the sponsors of the league actually expressed their satisfaction on how the league was run, with a special mention to the chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele and suspended chairman Peter Dube.

The sponsors though, dropped a bombshell when they announced through their marketing executive Maxen Karombo that they were finding it difficult to commit themselves to extending their contract which expires this year largely due to the suspension of Dube by Zifa.

Delta Beverages also cited the unresolved promotional issue arguing that it was making life difficult in terms of planning although critics would also argue and ask why negotiations had to wait until the season end.

Fears are growing every day that the biggest league in the country could be unbranded for the second time in 11 years next season, having gone through the agony before.

On the playing field the race became a three-horse dash very early in the season as it became clear that Caps United, FC Platinum and Highlanders would fight tooth and nail to the bitter end.

There was the normal movement of coaches as the season progressed, with notable sackings and engagements at Chicken Inn, Ngezi Platinum, Bulawayo City, Hwange and fallen giants Dynamos.  Just days after the season ended, Harare City parted ways with their coach Moses Chunga while Chapungu’s John Nyikadzino also left.

Another highlight of the season, apart from the league title win by Caps United was Ngezi Platinum winning the top cup competition in the local game, the Chibuku Super Cup, in their first season in the topflight. Ngezi Platinum will be representing the country in the Caf Confederation Cup next year, having secured that right after they clobbered FC Platinum 3-0 in the final played at Baobab Stadium.

For the first time in many years, there was a general acceptance of the 11 soccer stars of the year finalists who were chosen last week. Caps United’s Hardlife Zvirekwi became the 47th Soccer Star of the Year since the inaugural award in 1969 won by the legendary George Shaya.

This indeed was a successful season but we expect the cloud over the relegation/promotion dispute to be resolved expeditiously. We also expect the return of stability in the hierarchy of the league.

Without order we doubt that the sponsors that the league sorely needs would commit to supporting the elite football competition next season.

Without financial backing from a league sponsor, many clubs are likely to struggle in financing their participation. Competition might also be adversely affected.

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