Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
CONTROVERSIAL Masvingo-based Pacific Storm Eastern Region Division One Soccer League side, FC Wangu Mazodze, have finally paid their affiliation fee after being given a second chance to fulfil the requirement.
However, the going got tough for Chimanimani outfit, Rusitu Tigers, who will not be part of the 2026 season, owing to biting financial constraints.
FC Wangu Mazodze, who have gained popularity more off the field than on the field of play for their social media rantings and confrontations with league authorities, as well as other teams, had not paid their affiliation fee in time, leaving their membership facing possible forfeiture.
Rusitu Tigers, a promising project that brought Division One football to the remote Rusitu banana farming area for the first time in history, paid half of their affiliation fee to maintain membership, should they decide to resume participation in the league next season.
ZIFA Eastern Region chairman Simba Wisdom confirmed the developments, saying FC Wangu Mazodze have met their affiliation obligation.
“FC Wangu Mazodze was not included on the initial fixture list as they failed to meet the deadline for payment of affiliation fees as required by the league. However, in the spirit of sportsmanship and inclusion of all stakeholders, we decided to give them two more days and this only happened after the club showed renewed vigour and willingness to meet the affiliation fees payment. Rusitu Tigers requested to be omitted from the list, but they paid their membership fee to safeguard their place for the coming 2027 soccer season,” said Simba.
It is understood that the Masvingo side put its house in order and paid its affiliation fees this week.
The Pacific Storm Eastern Region Division One Soccer League 2026 season gets underway next weekend with fixtures lined up at different venues across the region.
Simba said the league had managed to host a Club Licensing workshop, which was attended by 20 clubs, and had ticked almost all the boxes in terms of compliance.
“The Pacific Storm Eastern Region Soccer League is geared up for the 2026 soccer season and all preparations are ongoing from the league to the participating clubs. As a league, in line with our roadmap, we have managed to tick almost all the boxes. Last weekend, we successfully hosted the Club Licensing workshop, which was attended by 20 clubs. We also held a safeguarding workshop for team managers, and I am happy to say the facilitator from ZIFA, Kudzai Chitima, did justice to the task, as capacitation of our human resources continues to take shape. The managers were also taken through the laws of the game, and the facilitator, Phibion Ngorima, covered mostly the controversial penalty incidences, offsides, and handballs,” said Simba.
