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MUSA MANDAZA

Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
AT least two teams will be relegated from the Zifa Southern Region Division One Soccer League should there be a Premiership club axed from this part of the country.
After the withdrawal of Portland Cement last month due to financial difficulties, joining Zimbabwe Saints and Kabwe Warriors who had been kicked out of the league earlier for non-payment of affiliation fees, the Zifa Southern Region Division One Soccer League was left with 13 clubs.

At the end of the season four teams – two from Zifa Matabeleland North Division Two and two from Zifa Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Division Two Soccer Leagues will be promoted into the second tier Southern Region League, with the regional champions set for automatic entry into the Premiership.

In an interview yesterday, Zifa Southern Region chairman Musa Mandaza said they are praying for all Premiership teams from this part of the country to survive the chop.

But Bantu Rovers, How Mine and Chicken Inn are all staring relegation from the topflight. If they fail to survive, they will be accommodated in the unfashionable Division One Soccer League.

“What we are doing is pray that no Premiership club from the Southern Region gets relegated as that will affect the number of teams that we will have to chop. We remain hopeful that Bantu Rovers, How Mine and Chicken Inn weather the relegation storm and stay in the topflight because it doesn’t make any sense to keeping losing clubs from the elite league every season.

“As the Southern Region we are challenging them to pull up their socks and to clubs that are in the drop zone in our league, they also have to fight to the wire. So much has been said about the promotion race but I believe our survival battle is equally interesting,” said Mandaza.

With 13 clubs and promoting one to the topflight, the Zifa Southern Region stands a chance not to wield an axe on anyone should there be no Premiership team to be accommodated in their tier.

Faced with a possibility of welcoming Premiership flops, Elephants FC, former champions Quelaton, New West and Old Nic Mine have to avoid being at the bottom of the table.

The quartet have tough assignments with Old Nic who have just 12 points after 17 games playing host to championship chasing Plumtree Chiefs with 12th placed New West taking on table toppers  Black Boots while Quelaton are also on the road to Ntabazinduna.

The Bekithemba “Super” Ndlovu mentored Elephants FC will be away to ZPC Hwange.

Fixtures
Tomorrow: Ntabazinduna v Quelaton (Ntabazinduna), Old Nic Mine v Plumtree Chiefs (Old Nic Mine), ZPC Hwange v Elephants FC (Hwange), Black Boots v New West (Fair Bridge), Technosphere v Mpumalanga (Hwange), Hwange Juniors v Portland Cement (cancelled)

Sunday: Trumus v Tsholotsho (Victoria Falls)

Results
Ntabazinduna 2-2 Tsholotsho, Plumtree Chiefs 0-0 Trumus, Quelaton 1-2 ZPC Hwange, New West 0-1 Old Nic Mine, Elephants FC 2-0 Mpumalanga, Black Boots 3-2  Hwange Juniors, Technosphere v Portland Cement (cancelled)

Table
P    W    D    L    F    A    GD    Pts
Black Boots    18    10    5    3    26    14    12    35
Technosphere    17    9    6    2    20    6    14    33
Ntabazinduna    17    9    6    2    21    10    11    33
Tsholotsho    17    8    8    1    21    8    13    32
Plumtree Chiefs    17    8    6    3    27    13    14    30
ZPC Hwange    18    8    5    5    15    9    6    29
Trumus    17    5    10    2    15    12    2    25
Hwange Juniors    17    7    2    8    18    23    -5    23
Mpumalanga    17    6    3    8    14    20    -6    21
Elephant FC    17    3    6    8    10    14    -4    15
Quelaton    17    3    5    9    12    21    -9    14
New West    17    3    4    10    14    21    -7    13
Old Nic Mine    17    3    3    11    10    30    -20    12
Portland Cement    17    1    5    11    1    23    -22    8