Online Reporter
Curtworth Masango
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE Pacific Storm Eastern Region Soccer League could be the most competitive of all four regions in the country for the 2026 season.
This is after three teams, Yadah, GreenFuel and Bikita Minerals, were all relegated from the Premiership last season at once.
These three, who have since retained good players, add to the likes of Masvingo, Tenax and Buffaloes, creating what could be an explosive season.
The leadership from the region seems to be fully aware of that, and they kicked off their 2026 season in style last Saturday at Montclair Hotel and Casino to celebrate a new chapter.
Representatives from all 20 teams and title sponsors Pacific Storm lit up the stage for an event that marked both contract extension and “a bold new approach”.
“This year, we decided to do things differently. As you may recall, last season we had a football match, but this time we opted to host a cocktail instead,” said chairman Wisdom Simba.
Simba credited the sponsors with transforming football in their region.
“The arrival of Pacific has brought a lot of excitement to the league and increased competition, as we saw last season,” Simba said.
“Looking ahead to 2026, I believe we are in for some fireworks with the addition of GreenFuel, Bikita Minerals, Yadah, and the new boys, AMV from Rusape.”
Pacific Storm marketing manager Kudakwashe Chiutsi announced the contract extension into 2026, calling the partnership one of the company’s highest-priority investments.
“We not only see brand visibility and brand growth, but also community impact. That speaks volumes about the values we stand for. We have challenged not only ourselves but also the community to bring forth as much as they can with the little we have given them, and they have shown us amazing results,” said Chiutsi.
“The Eastern Region was never like this, but it has grown. We have seen so many teams join this year as a testament to how the league is growing. We have also seen another team graduate to the Premier League, and we anticipate more growth.”
One major business of the day was also the draw for the preliminary stages of the prestigious Munhumutapa Cup, with guest of honour legislator Kenneth Muchina presiding over it.
The Cup, which will see all regions having teams participating from different leagues, carries a winner’s prize of US$1 million.
The region, which encompasses the Pacific Storm Eastern Region Soccer League and other lower leagues, will eventually provide four teams when the draw goes national.
“We thank our President, a visionary leader, for bringing this to the general populace. It helps our kids by offering monetary rewards and incentives, and through sport, we can reduce, lessen, and even try to eradicate drug abuse. We say thank the president for such a great gesture,” Muchina said.
