Fans still to wait…PSL defer 2024 league season start

THE start of the 2024 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) season has been deferred by a week, amid revelations that it will now commence on March 9.

This year’s much awaited league programme was initially scheduled to kick-off on Saturday, a week after the season opener Castle Challenge Cup that was played between Ngezi Platinum Stars and Dynamos at Mhondoro’s Baobab Stadium last weekend.

Ngezi Platinum Stars, who are the league’s defending champions beat DeMbare 2-0 to go home with a prize-money of US$30 000.

The Glamour Boys are the Chibuku Super Cup defending champions.

The postponement of the league fixtures was confirmed by PSL communications and liaison officer Kudzai Bare yesterday.

“All Stakeholders are advised that the 2024 Castle Lager Championship will commence on the 9th of March 2024. This has been necessitated by the need to ensure that we have safe, secure and adequate venues to host Castle Lager Premier Soccer matches. We look forward to a competitive and exciting 2024 season,” said Bare.

The postponement of the games comes days after PSL chairman Farai Jere disclosed that Dynamos and Highlanders were deliberately fixtured to face each other on Week One of the race a rarity.

History has it that the two nemesis have never met in a season’s opener hence the excitement that had been brewed.

It will be a rare but exciting opening fixture for both Bosso and DeMbare fans.

Highlanders head coach Kelvin Kaindu has since got his work permit weeks after the club hired Try Ncube and Agent Sawu as first and second assistants respectively.

Last year, the first leg encounter between the two antagonists played in Harare ended in a nil all stalemate.

The second leg fixture, saw Barbourfields Stadium being turned into a ‘battleground’ when violence caused the abandonment of the match when the Glamour Boys were leading 2-0 after 37 minutes had been played.

Bosso fans from the Soweto stand threw missiles and later invaded the pitch forcing Allen Bhasvi to abandon the match.

This was after concurring with match commissioner Nelson Kusosa.

A 37th minute attack by Bosso, ended in penalty calls dismissed by the referee.

And when a Dynamos player was injured resulting in a stoppage, Bosso players led by Andrew Mbeba and Peter Muduhwa mobbed the referee over the penalty incident.

All hell broke loose when Bosso fans started throwing missiles and moments later breached the perimeter fence, forcing players off the field and fighting running battles with the police.

Both clubs were summoned for a PSL disciplinary hearing charging them with contravening Order 31 of the PSL rules and regulations.

Dynamos were awarded the match on a 3-0 scoreline.

Bosso were found guilty of failing to control their fans and were fined US$5,000, while Dynamos, whose fans also confronted Highlanders supporters, received a US$3,500 penalty.

Muduhwa got a four-match ban and a US$500 fine.

The ban was for allegedly ‘failing to protect match officials against acts or attempted acts of violence’ after he allegedly stopped match officials from entering the dressing room during the pitch invasion. – @FungaiMuderere.