Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi-Zimpapers Sports Hub
SCOTTLAND coach Norman Mapeza has welcomed the FIFA break despite the hiatus coming at a time his team appeared to have just hit the right chords in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League 2026 marathon.
The pause comes just as the Mabvuku side had stepped up their gear and posted back-to-back 3-0 victories against Manica Diamonds and FC Hunters in their previous two games.
Scottland had drawn against Hardrock and Ngezi Platinum Stars in their opening two fixtures.
Ordinarily, it should be concerning for any coach to experience a fixtures disruption at a time his team is gaining such momentum.
But the former Zimbabwe coach feels the pause is necessary after what he described as a demanding start to the campaign.
The PSL has had a feisty start, with teams having already played four games each under difficult conditions inside 14 days; hence the break is needed to avoid burnout early in the season, according to the four-time championship winning gaffer.
“Look, after the midweek games (and then playing again at the weekend), I think the players especially needed a break because the games were coming too fast,” said Mapeza.
“But overall performance, brilliant. I’m happy for the boys. They’ve been working so hard.
“Now, at least, this international break, everybody can go home, relax, then come back to training in three or four-days’ time.”
Scottland opened their campaign with a goalless draw against newly-promoted Hardrock at Chahwanda Stadium on March 8 before returning home to Rufaro where they settled for a 1-1 stalemate with bogey side Ngezi Platinum Stars.
They then travelled to Gibbo to take on Manica Diamonds in a midweek fixture, and Scottland scripted their first win with an impressive 3-0 result.
Mapeza’s men copy-pasted the scoreline at Rufaro last Sunday when they thrashed newboys FC Hunters by a similar 3-0.
But during the early part of the season, almost all the clubs in the league will admit the playing conditions were not ideal for top-flight football matches due to the poor state of the stadiums across the country.
The matches took place mainly on heavy, waterlogged and muddy surfaces because of the incessant rains that coincided with the start of the season and the perennial problem of poor drainage systems.
The challenge has affected almost all the teams in the league with one match between Dynamos and TelOne having to be postponed to the next day, and still getting played on a waterlogged pitch at Ascot.
Mapeza feels the players deserve the break because of that.
“If the weather conditions were okay, if it was sunny and it wasn’t muddy, then maybe we can talk of why the break and things like that.
“But I think as of now, because of the weather (and pitch) conditions, the players need a break. Definitely, they need a break.
“Because the pitches were heavy. Heavy, heavy pitches. For us, it’s okay. The players need that rest,” said Mapeza.
Scottland rose to second place on the log standings with eight points from the first four games and trail log leaders CAPS United by four points going into the recess.
Former Warriors talisman Khama Billiat has hit top form, scoring a brace each in Scottland’s last two assignments.
Billiat also weighed in with an assist against Hunters on Sunday, apart from heading in two brilliant goals.
The FIFA international match window started on Monday and will run until next Tuesday.
Mapeza expects his players to return from the break with the same intensity as they travel to Ascot for a date with TelOne on April 2.
Scottland have experienced players who include Knowledge Musona, Terrence Dzvukamanja, Walter Musona, Abubakar Moffat, Namibian Moses Shidolo and Khwake Thwala.
Some of their players have received national team calls with utility man Godknows Murwira joining the Warriors for the Mukuru Four Nations Tournament while Thwala was included in the Eswatini squad for the back-to-back friendly matches against Eritrea.
“They just need to look after themselves. We’ve got senior players here. I don’t think there is an introduction to them on how to look after themselves because if they were not looking after themselves, we can’t have Knowledge still playing football now . . . we can’t have Khama still playing football now.
“But you can tell that these guys have been looking after themselves. And I expect the rest of the guys just to follow suit.
“So, what is important is just to be disciplined,” said Mapeza.
