Online Reporter
Tendai Chara
Zimpapers Sports Hub
SWEENEY Mushonga, chairman of the MCM Northern Region Soccer League (NRSL), says the delay in the league’s start could prove a blessing in disguise for some clubs.
The NRSL returns tomorrow, kicking off what promises to be a busy and exciting schedule that will test the teams’ depth, fitness and character.
Matches were originally scheduled for the first week of March but were postponed for a number of reasons, chiefly an appeal lodged by Chingwere.
With the Munhumutapa Cup starting on April 18 and the first round of the Super 8 Cup beginning on July 25, the 2026 season features a congested programme that will demand careful squad management and tactical flexibility.
Mushonga believes the delayed start might work in some teams’ favour.
“Some of the teams thoroughly prepared for the new season, with a number of friendly matches being held.
“In my view, this is going to be one of our most competitive seasons,” Mushonga said.
The league now features 22 teams, including newcomers CP Chemicals, Highrange, Batanai, Marere and Chingwere.
The Munhumutapa Cup, with its knockout format, can produce shocks and surprise runs that upend season expectations, while the Super 8 brings together the league’s best performers in a short, high-stakes tournament.
Between those cups and the championship race, clubs will have few quiet weekends and will need to prioritise fitness, rotation and rapid recovery after setbacks.
For the newcomers, the opening fixtures will be an early test of character – particularly Marere and Chingwere FC, who meet at Kadoma’s Rimuka on Sunday.
Both sides are new to the NRSL and enter the season with ambition and expectations.
Their first meeting has already captured attention across Mashonaland West, where both teams hail from.
Marere are from Sanyati and Chingwere are from Mhondoro.
Claudious Mapako, Marere’s team manager, said:
“We will cross the bridge when we get to the river. We have reached a point of no return and for us, there is no turning back,” he said.
For Chingwere, the season is a chance to show that their promotion – which was nearly derailed when the NRSL initially barred them from the league – was no fluke.
