Online Reporter
Blessing Malinganiza
Zimpapers Sports Hub
WITH the 2026 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season reaching its halfway stage, the four promoted teams have experienced contrasting fortunes.
While Hardrock have emerged as the surprise package and genuine title contender, fellow newcomers FC Hunters, Bulawayo Chiefs and AGAMA have found life in the top-flight far more demanding as they battle to secure their status.
Central Region champions Hardrock have established themselves as the benchmark for the promoted clubs this season.
Few expected the Kwekwe-based side to challenge at the top, but they have spent much of the campaign among the frontrunners and currently lead the standings with 31 points from 15 matches.
Hardrock also boasts the league’s best goal difference of plus 17 after scoring 24 goals and conceding just seven. Their success has been built on defensive solidity, consistency, and tactical discipline.
Unlike many newly-promoted teams, whose primary objective is survival, Hardrock have shown ambition and maturity under Zambian coach Kelvin Kaindu.
Speaking after their 3-0 victory over Simba Bhora, Kaindu said his side had gradually settled into life in the Premier Soccer League.
“The team that is coming from Division One, our first objective is to stay in the Premier League. We take every game as it comes.
“Scoring three goals and keeping a clean sheet shows how much confidence we are building in the team. I am particularly happy with the way we defended today. There were no moments that we showed our opponents that we would give them a goal.
“The ability to play from the back shows that we are now stable in the way we play in the Premier League.”
With their impressive first-half showing, anything short of a top-four finish would now be viewed as a disappointment.
Eastern Region champions FC Hunters endured a difficult introduction to top-flight football. They struggled for goals in the opening weeks and spent much of the early stages hovering around the relegation zone, collecting just three points from their first four matches without finding the net.
However, Hunters have gradually adapted to the demands of the league. Their recent 3-1 victory over Bulawayo Chiefs underlined a side beginning to find its rhythm. They currently occupy 14th place with 14 points from 16 matches.
Defensively, they remain vulnerable, having conceded 21 goals, but there are signs of improvement and enough resilience to suggest survival is within reach.
Bulawayo Chiefs have also found the transition back to the top flight challenging following their Southern Region championship triumph.
The Ninjas have managed only three victories in 16 matches and sit 13th on the table with 16 points.
Their biggest concern has been at the back, where they have conceded 20 goals while scoring 14, leaving them with a negative goal difference of six. Although they have shown flashes of quality, inconsistency has prevented them from building momentum.
Chiefs remain outside the relegation zone, which represents a measure of success at this stage, but they will need a stronger second half of the campaign to avoid being dragged deeper into the survival battle.
No promoted side has endured a more difficult return than Agama. After marching to the Northern Region title unbeaten last season, the Mount Darwin outfit have discovered that Premier Soccer League football presents a far sterner challenge.
They are currently 15th with 12 points from 16 matches and have managed only two victories all season. Their defensive frailties have been exposed, with 22 goals conceded and only 12 scored.
Despite their struggles, Agama remain within touching distance of safety and have accumulated enough draws to keep their hopes alive.
Their fortunes during the second half of the campaign are likely to determine whether their stay in the Premier Soccer League extends beyond one season.
As the season enters its decisive phase, Hardrock have set the standard among the promoted clubs, while FC Hunters, Bulawayo Chiefs and Agama face a battle to ensure their top-flight journeys do not end after just one campaign.
