adminLovemore Zigara Midlands Sports Correspondent
THE Zifa Central Soccer League, which was supposed to start this weekend, has been postponed indefinitely to allow teams to complete registration of their players.
Fifteen teams will make up the league following the pulling out of former Premiership sides Tripple B and Hardbody who have cited financial constraints as the reason for not being part for this season.
Mvuma-based NM Academy have also indicated that they will not be able to take part in this season’s campaign and have proffered the same reason.
Zifa Central Soccer League board member, Stanley Chapeta confirmed the developments adding that the three clubs have since been replaced by Nkayi United and Zvishavane Stars.
“The season which was supposed to start this week has been postponed indefinitely to allow teams to complete their registration of players.
“We want to begin the season with everything in order with players having their licences.
“We have also encountered challenges during the affiliation process as some teams communicated to us late that they will not be taking part in the league this season. I can confirm that Tripple B, Hardbody and NM Academy will not be part of the league this season and in their place will be Zvishavane Stars and Nkayi United,” he said.
Apart from Zvishavane Stars and Nkayi United, the league will also have four newcomers in ZRP Beitbridge who replaced fellow Beitbridge side, Matshiloni who indicated that they did not have the financial muscle to take part in the second tier league, ambitious outfit Gweru City and Gokwe based Chomumvuri Pirates who won the Zifa Midlands Division Two A and B Leagues respectively.
Gwanda-based Blanket Mine make a welcome return to the league following their relegation during the 2012 season campaign.
Chapeta did not rule out the possibility of the league adding another team saying the decision lay with the board.
He said, “There is still a slot that is vacant but the decision to fill that vacancy lies solely with the board but let me hasten to say that we are not just inviting teams into the league. We will look at the competitiveness of the team and their financial position because we have always had problems with clubs that leave the league midway through”.
Financial problems have dogged the region since its inception in 2010 with Border Strikers being booted out during their inaugural season due to non-payment of affiliation fees.
The following season Gweru Pirates and Shurugwi United pulled out midway through the 2011 season leaving the league fixtures in disarray.
The financial quagmire continued to haunt the league as Gweru Pirates found the going tough during the 2012 season and had to raise the red flag.
This came after TM Tigers, FC Glow Petroleum, McInn, Big Valley Masters and ZimAlloys had failed to affiliate for the 2012 season which left the league management with no option but to invite other teams to be part of the league.
The ghost continued to haunt the league last season as Zialanda, Tripple B Academy and Kwekwe Pirates prematurely ended their flirtation with the league after failing to settle affiliation fee dues.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter