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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter—
ZIFA and the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League are headed for an imminent bruising boardroom squabble over the number and format of relegation at the end of the season. Out-going Zifa vice president Ndumiso Gumede said there is a resolution on two automatic relegation of the bottom two teams, Champion of Champions clash for the four regional league winners and then play-offs while the league’s chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele insisted on two teams being relegated, two promoted and nothing else.

“As far as we are concerned we are relegating two teams and having two coming from the lower league, nothing less and nothing more,” said Ndebele yesterday.

However, Gumede’s version of events is slightly different.
He said: “The four winners of the regional Division One leagues, that is Southern, Central, Eastern and Northern Regions will be involved in what we call Champion of Champions whose two winners will get an automatic ticket to the PSL replacing the bottom two clubs there”.

Gumede said from there, the bottom two teams from the Champion of Champions clashes would then be involved in play-offs against the two teams who would have finished on position 13 and 14 in the Premier League.

“Once we have our final standings, the first and second placed teams from the play-offs will then proceed to the PSL. It might be the two teams from the Premiership, the two from Division One or even one from each league,” said the veteran administrator who steps down from active football administrations on March 29 after the national Zifa board elections.

Gumede said the format of the Champion of Champions would be decided by the newly elected office bearers from next week’s elections. “The Champion of Champions and play-offs could be played on a round-robin stage in one venue, say over a week or home and away basis depending on the time factor but that will be decided by those who will be in office then,” said Gumede.

The relegation saga has been made worse by the failure to find sponsorship for the envisaged National Division One League.
According to standing resolutions, the new league ought to have started this season but has had to be put on ice due to funding issues. It will be a Zifa baby.

“The league out to have kicked off this year but we could not get sponsorship for it. That is why even in our constitution we clearly stated that ‘once established,’” said Gumede.

The present four regions will be the feeder leagues to the national league, who will in turn provide two teams to the Premier League.

KEY POINTS:
Zifa says

• Champion of Champions for the four regional leagues winners

• Top two from the Champion of Champions get promoted to the PSL

• Play-offs for the 13th and 14th teams in the PSL and bottom two from the Champion of Champions

• Top two from play-offs get promoted to the PSL

PSL says

• Bottom two teams get relegated

• Two teams from Division One will be promoted