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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter

MORE than a decade after Kwekwe last had Premier League football, the country’s flagship game is set to return next year if Gweru-based Sheasham seal the Zifa Central Region Division One promotional ticket this weekend.

The John Nyikadzino-coached side takes on ninth placed Dulibadzimu in Beitbridge on Saturday afternoon knowing fully well that a straight win will automatically guarantee them the sole ticket to the elite league while a draw and or a loss will leave many permutations.

“If we get the sole ticket to the PSL we are likely to move to Baghdad Stadium in Kwekwe for our matches next year. 

“We are using Mkoba Stadium in Gweru at the moment but its unlikely to be homologated by the First Instance Body in line with Club licensing while Ascot Stadium already has Chapungu and TelOne, so for us moving to Kwekwe will be the next sensible thing,” said club chairman Malvern Paradza in an interview with Chronicle Sport yesterday.

The last PSL match to be played at Baghdad Stadium was on Unity Day in December 2008 between home side Lancashire Steel and Eastern Lions which the visitors, according to our previous Midlands sports correspondent Noel Muzambwa who is now based in Eswatini, won 1-0 courtesy of a Prosper Matizanadzo strike.

Lancashire were to be relegated in that year.

“We once contemplated renovating Mkoba Stadium but costs for that project proved prohibitive hence the decision to move to Kwekwe where we know people are starved of top flight football and as an organisation we also have a branch there,” said Paradza.

Sheasham are involved in a three-team race with former Premiership side, Whawha, who take on fallen giants Shabani Mine at Maglas Stadium and ZPC Munyati who are also on the road to already relegated ZRP Gweru. 

ZPC Munyati need to win by a minimum of six goals without reply and hope that Sheasham and Whawha don’t win their matches for them to win the title while for Whawha, a 4-0 win for them and a loss or draw for Sheasham takes them to the podium.

Odds, however, favour Sheasham who have led the standings since week two and barring any last minute shenanigans in Beitbridge on Saturday, Kwekwe football lovers might as well start preparing to watch Premiership football next year.

“When our project took off, we gave ourselves a two-year time frame to get to the PSL. 

“We finished fifth in our first year and this year we hired an experienced gaffer in Nyikadzino and allowed him to bring in the players he wanted so that we achieve this dream and so far its all pointing towards that,” said Paradza.

Table

PWDLFAGDPts

Sheasham 33 22 5 6 60 18 42 72

Whawha 33 21 7 5 55 16 39 70

ZPC Munyati 33 20 9 4 57 21 36 69

Vumbachikwe 33 19 9 5 56 26 30 66

MSU 33 18 10 5 47 15 32 64

Ivan Hoe 33 15 13 5 42 22 20 58

FC Platinum U-19 33 13 9 11 39 34 5 48

Blanket Mine 33 12 11 10 42 39 3 47

Dulibadzimu 32 11 10 11 30 34 -4 43

Dendairy 33 9 11 13 27 32 -5 38

Real BVM 33 7 12 14 32 41 -9 33

Kwekwe Utd 33 8 9 16 21 41 -20 33

Filabusi Utd 33 5 16 12 26 37 -11 31

Shabanie Mine 33 7 10 16 26 43 -17 31

Gokwe North 33 7 7 19 24 59 -35 28

Black Eagles 33 6 8 19 22 59 -37 26

The Venue 32 5 7 20 27 65 -38 22

ZRP Gweru 33 3 12 18 30 61 -31 21