Online Reporter
Ray Bande in Mutare
ALL Premier Soccer League teams are required to register five players under the age of 20 but how many of these youngsters have played regularly for their teams?
Is it not a fact that the 36 Midlothian Ave, Eastlea, Harare, Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League offices are a rented property by a national league that barely has assets of its own including vehicles that staff members ought to use for daily work errands?
Is it also not a fact that apart from the Delta Beverages sponsorship through their Castle Lager and Chibuku brands, the country’s top-flight league know no other corporate partner? These, among other questions, are being answered in PSL chairmanship candidate Masimba Chihowa’s manifesto where the Mutare-based administrator spells out his vision for the game.
On Friday the PSL will have a new chairman, vice-chairman and three members of the emergency committee while the Zimbabwe Women Soccer League will have a chairperson, vice-chairperson and five board members. Former FIFA panel assistant referee, Chihowa, one of the most senior people in the PSL leadership at the moment, in terms of experience and exposure, has been a member of the Emergency Committee for a long time.
“I have done quite some work during the campaigning period. I have reached out to all the governors and their responses were positive. I presented my manifesto and it was received well by all those who believe in my vision for the league.
“When we are talking about chances, I would rate myself high. Election being election, it is a game of numbers and you might not know who will win at the end of it all, but I am confident that I have done enough groundwork,” Chihowa said.
The much-needed corporate partnership, constitutional amendments and promotion of junior players’ interests, are at the heart of Chihowa’s vision.
“My priority is working on the constitution so that it complies with international standards. One of the key areas that I will concentrate on is improving the nurturing of junior players.
“I want to see to it that youngsters’ interests in the game are protected. In England for example, when registered with a club as an Under 16, they can be taken through the ladder and be allowed to play. We should have a system that in any given match at least one or two players under the age of 20 are given game time.
“Most of the juniors in PSL teams sit on the bench and they are just there to justify the clause that a club has to have five Under 20 players. To me that is wrong. These youngsters need exposure at an early age.”
At a time when other leagues such as in South Africa have a number of tournament and partners including Betway, Nedbank, Carling Black Label, Mtn8, Dstv Compact among others, in Zimbabwe Delta Beverages are the only sponsors for PSL with the league and one cup competition to offer.
Chihowa is keen to improve corporate partnership for PSL.
“I want to work on the asset base for PSL. They are renting offices and that should not be the case. Those PSL employees need tools of their trade including vehicles so that they can do their work without hindrance emanating from lack of resources.
“I have corporates that I will engage and already they are willing to be part of this thing only if sound administration is in place. Surely, there is no reason we should be having one corporate partner for the country’s flagship league. I want to improve this situation,” said Chihowa.
