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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIFA Southern Region Division One League clubs should brace for a congested fixture programme once the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) gives the second-tier league the go ahead for their competitions.

Fiso Siziba, the Zifa Southern Region board member responsible for competitions, told First Division clubs as well as the Zifa Bulawayo Province and Matabeleland North Province, who run the Second and Third Division leagues at an annual general meeting on Saturday that they will be more midweek games compared to previous seasons.

“We don’t want the league to spill over to next year because constitutionally, the football season in Zimbabwe doesn’t spill over to the following calendar year. What we are anticipating and remain hopeful for is that the lower leagues’ season will run concurrently with that of the Premier Soccer League,” said Siziba.

The PSL programme starts with a mini-league tournament, with clubs pooled into four groups next weekend.

After the mini-tournament, the PSL said the league season will kick-off in July.

Siziba said Southern Region Division One League clubs have already been given fixtures to enable them to plan.

“If the green light is given, the fixtures we have given them are the ones we will use. After a meeting we held in Kwekwe last month where the four Zifa regions (Northern, Southern, Eastern and Central) set June as the date for the start of our leagues, the national association asked each region to send a detailed roadmap, which we have done.

“So, we have asked clubs to submit venues that they will use for inspection and part of the conditions for those venues to be okayed is that they have a perimeter fence to restrict spectators from going onto the pitch. It’s also part of the Covid-19 standard operating procedures,” Siziba said. — ZililoR