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MANY of us have heard this saying before — our domestic football is dead and it’s not worth it anymore to go to the stadiums to watch our national game.
There is enough proof to show that this might be true.
We have seen that the attendance figures have plummeted at our PSL games and the huge crowds, which used to follow the likes of Dynamos and CAPS United, have disappeared.
The standards in our Premier League have fallen and the last time we had a club which played well in the CAF Champions League was in 2017 when CAPS United managed to make it to the group stages of the tournament.
The Green Machine eliminated former champions TP Mazembe along the way.
There was also a time when Dynamos would go all the way to the semi-finals and final of the Champions League.
Now, the Glamour Boys cannot even win the league championship here at home and it’s not 10 years since they were crowned champions.
While, it’s true that standards in our PSL have fallen sharply, what is not true is that football standards on our domestic front have fallen and spectators don’t want to be associated with the game anymore.
There is a lot of life in the ZIFA Northern Region Division One League and the number of fans, who are going to watch these games, is actually growing.
Even the quality of football in this league is getting better and better with each passing week.
The investment levels in the league are dwarfing what is being put into most of the clubs in our Premiership.
For years, we have seen our best players being lured by clubs in South Africa.
Now,for a refreshing change, we are seeing some of our stars, who had left to ply their trade in South Africa, returning home and signing for these Division One clubs.
That is a huge statement by these Division One clubs, especially the Northern Region one, which is the most competitive of all our second-tier leagues.
Ronald Pfumbidzai was playing for SuperSport United, one of the top clubs in the South African Premiership, just a few months ago.
Last week he decided to return home and the expectation would have been that he would sign for his old club CAPS United.
However, Pfumbidzai decided to ignore the domestic Premiership and sign for ambitious Division One club Scottland.
He played his first match for the club on Saturday in their 1-1 draw against Black Rhinos.
There was a very good crowd at the Heart Stadium who came to watch the likes of Pfumbidzai in action.
He was not the only attraction — Scottland also fielded King Nadolo, Leeroy Mavunga and Allen Gahadzikwa, who all snubbed Premiership clubs to play for this Division One side.
Scottland are not the only one making big investments.
MWOS are also doing the same and this is creating a huge vibe in the league. This is what is lacking in the Premiership.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter