2025 PSL kicks off with low scoring matches

Fungai Muderere, [email protected]
A TOTAL of 10 goals were scored in the opening week of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) 2025 season producing five draws from nine matches.

In the past season, in the opening week, 18 goals were scored, meaning this season’s start saw a drop of eight from the same number of games that were played in the first instalment.

Results went in the way of newly promoted sides Scottland and MWOS who both got the better of Triangle United and Bosso on similar 1-0 scorelines.

Triangle United are smarting from a one-year stay in Division One and they were unfortunate to see defender Blessing Chihota score an own goal that granted Scottland FC the eventual win in the opening game of the season that was played at Rufaro Stadium on Friday.

On Saturday, six matches were played and on Sunday two matches were played.

In a total of nine matches that were played, four wins and five draws were recorded.

The triumphs went to Scottland, Manica Diamonds, MWOS and Herentals College.

The five stalemates (Green Fuel 1-1 CAPS United, Simba Bhora 0-0 FC Platinum, Manica Diamonds 0-0 Yadah FC, Chicken Inn 0-0 Bikita Minerals, Kwekwe United 1-1 Ngezi Platinum).

Three of those draws were goalless seeing Chicken Inn, Bikita Minerals, FC Platinum, Simba Bhora, Dynamos and ZPC Kariba failing to score.

Meanwhile, a Fifa transfer ban is seemingly haunting Yadah early into the season as they were forced to field a team with just two substitutes in their opening 2025 away match to Manica Diamonds at Sakubva Stadium.

Yadah were last year sanctioned by Fifa over a US$82 000 salary dispute with three Brazilian players, who failed to make the grade at the club.

Fifa banned Yadah from registering new players for three transfer windows pending resolution of the issue and this has resulted in the present situation, which was worsened by the departure of key players from last season, who sought greener pastures.

It is understood that Yadah are making efforts to resolve the issue this month to allow the registration of several players who have already been identified and are ready to play, once cleared.

On the weekend where Manica Diamonds’ technical team’s decision to play Fortune Binzi in his rightful central striking position paid off as the Sakubva-born striker’s flicker five minutes into added time was all they needed to bag maximum points against a spirited 10-man Yadah.

Binzi, a promising striker who spent the greater part of last season playing as a winger in the few encounters in which he was lucky to get game time last season, was thrust into the deep end and indeed he justified the move.

Coach, Jairos Tapera was a relieved man in the fifth minute of the seven minutes of added time when the forward connected a cross from Anelka Chivandire to give Manica Diamonds the lead and the only goal of the encounter.

From the onset of the match, the home team dominated the exchanges but failed to breach the resolute Yadah defence.

Not even the 43rd-minute red card on Anotidaishe Gwatidzo after a clumsy challenge on Liberty Masvaure could translate into a tangible advantage for Manica Diamonds, at least in regulation time.

Notwithstanding that Yadah had only two players on the bench in Evans Rusike and Ryna Ncube, several attempts at goal by the Tapera-coached outfit were repelled.

In the end, Yadah coach Ikabort Masocha conceded that it was a well-deserved triumph for the Gem Boys.

“I think they deserved to win. They piled so much pressure on us from the first whistle, but we managed to withhold pressure. However, they were lucky to score towards the end and they deserved the win,” said Masocha.

Tapera, who delegated his assistant Tafadzwa Mashiri to handle post-match interviews, was visibly relieved after the final whistle.

Mashiri said: “This is a good start to the season and we are happy with that. This is our first time to win our first match of the season since we came here, so there is every reason to be happy about it. Yes, it is clear that we are not yet there.

“We need more time to gel and form a formidable unit, but we are happy that we still managed to get the result that we desperately wanted. We look forward to the future with confidence.”

Herentals College became the first team to score more than one goal on the opening weekend of the 2025 campaign after beating TelOne 2-1.

Herentals broke the deadlock two minutes after the half-hour with a goal from Prince Chama, who was making his first appearance in more than one-and-a-half years.

Chama came to the end of an Erick Dombo cross, which he controlled well to slot home, giving The Students the lead after 32 minutes.

Former Highlanders forward Washington Navaya, who came in as a second-half substitute, levelled terms for the Gweru-based side, tapping in a cross from Gerald Bhero.

Herentals secured three points five minutes from the end when Kundai Sangare took advantage of the referee’s decision to wave “play on”, while TelOne expected action to be halted and scored the winner for the hosts

The decision did not go down well with the visitors, who staged a five-minute protest.

Herentals coach Paul Benza, was elated with the result.

“It was a good result for us. Sangare came in and gave us a good result and going forward, we hope to continue with the momentum,” said Benza.

TelOne coach, Herbert Maruwa, felt his charges lost concentration to let in a late winner for the hosts.

“We had the game under control and a loss of concentration let us down. But we go back to the drawing board. Congratulations to Herentals,” he said.

Champions Simba Bhora, fielding a new-look outfit, settled for a goalless draw with bogey side FC Platinum at Wadzanai Stadium, ending a run of successive defeats against Norman Mapeza’s Zvishavane heavyweights.

At Wadzanai Stadium, Simba Bhora had only themselves to blame for failing to floor FC Platinum, despite creating numerous chances.

The game was a tale of two halves, with missed chances galore.

As expected, Mapeza packed his midfield with Shepherd Mhlanga, Brian Banda, Devine Mhindiri and Hagiazo Magaya to gain control. The champions’ coach, Joel Luphahla, felt his team still needed time to get into the required groove.

At Bata Stadium, veteran Masimba Mambare summoned all his experience to inspire Kwekwe United to an impressive one-all draw against Ngezi Platinum Stars.

The veteran winger scored a goal in the second half to cancel out Ashwin Karengesha’s first-half strike for Madamburo and earn a valuable point for Kwekwe United on their PSL debut.