Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira, Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIFA Southern Region Division One fixtures secretary, Prince Nyoni, has confirmed that Ajax Hotspurs have been expelled from the league ahead of this afternoon’s midweek fixtures.
The Bulawayo side had failed to honour recent games, and Nyoni said their continued struggle to meet financial obligations sealed their fate.
“Ajax Hotspurs are no longer part of the league owing to failure to fully pay their affiliation fees and referees’ fees. As a result, they are no longer part of the league. Since they managed to fulfil 50 percent of their fixtures, all the teams fixtured against them will be getting three points,” said Nyoni.
The expulsion comes as the promotion race heats up. Leaders, Bulawayo Chiefs, sitting top on goal difference, face an in-form Bulawayo City at Chiefs Village this afternoon in one of the standout ties of the round.
Nkayi United, level on 44 points with Chiefs, are away to army side Imbizo at Llewellin Stadium in another tricky clash.
Both clubs kept pace at the weekend with narrow wins, Chiefs edging Jordan 1-0 while Nkayi United beat Victoria Falls City by the same margin. Chiefs lead the table with a superior goal difference (+23 against Nkayi’s +19).
Hwange remain firmly in the hunt after a 1-0 win over Blackrock pushed them to 41 points, just three behind the top two.
The gap to fourth widened after Bulawayo Warriors thrashed Mainline 3-0. Bosso 90 stumbled to a 1-0 home defeat against Hwange’s Megawatt, Zebra Revolution edged Nust 2-1, Imbizo beat Eagle Life Assembly 2-0, and Bulawayo
City edged Casmyn 1-0 to consolidate sixth place.
Midweek fixtures
Today: Bosso 90 v Bulawayo Warriors (Nust Stadium), Casmyn v Blackrock (Turkmine), Megawatt v Eagle Life (Chakona), Jordan v Vic Falls City Herentals (Filabusi Mthwakazi)
Imbizo v Nkayi United (Llewellin), Bulawayo Chiefs v Bulawayo City (Chiefs Village), Nust v Hwange (Nust Stadium)
Thursday: Zebra Revolution v Talen Vision
