Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira, Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE Castle Lager Premier Soccer League is hurtling toward one of its most dramatic finishes in years, and the unthinkable is edging closer: Zimbabwe’s traditional football powerhouses are now fighting to avoid the drop.
With just 10 games to go, Highlanders, Dynamos, and CAPS United, clubs long tied to trophies and massive fan bases, are all stuck in the bottom half of the table. Only 10 points separate ninth from 17th, and all three giants are tangled in the relegation battle.
While they scramble for survival, an unexpected contender is charging toward glory. What once felt like a fairy tale for Scottland FC is now a very real possibility. At the same time, what once felt secure for Dynamos (19 points), CAPS United (28), and Highlanders (29) is rapidly falling apart.
Dynamos, the most decorated club in Zimbabwean football, are enduring what may be their worst league campaign ever. They sit second from bottom with just 19 points from 24 matches. The Glamour Boys are now facing the stark reality of relegation unless something drastic changes.
A few spots above, Highlanders (29 points) and CAPS United (28) haven’t dropped into the red zone, yet. But their buffer is paper-thin: just three points.
Since the league expanded to 18 teams in 2017, 39 points has usually been enough to survive. Bulawayo City and Chapungu both escaped the axe on that total in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, Yadah needed 41 to survive. Two seasons ago, even 37 was enough for them.
So while the maths offers some hope, the context does not. The idea of any of Zimbabwe’s most decorated clubs falling out of the top flight seemed absurd just a few months ago. Now, it’s looking more like a matter of time.
As the giants stumble, Scottland, a once-unknown outfit from Mabvuku, is rising fast.
The newcomers have gone from struggling for consistency to building real title momentum. They’ve now won five straight games, capped by a stunning 5-2 demolition of FC Platinum at Mandava Stadium last weekend.
That win wasn’t just impressive, it was unprecedented. Since their 2011 promotion, FC Platinum had never conceded five goals in a league match. That Scottland did it on their home ground says everything about their form.
The result pushed Scottland to 46 points, just one behind Simba Bhora with 10 matches left. MWOS are third on 42, while FC Platinum sit fourth with 40 and a game in hand.
Scottland’s surge has been fueled by bold mid-season signings, headlined by the return of Knowledge Musona. After 17 years abroad, he finally made his local league debut.
Other key arrivals include Terrence Dzvukamanja and Mafious Chihweta. In the win over FC Platinum, Dzvukamanja picked Musona with a pass that resulted in the penalty that Walter Musona converted to open the scoring. Chihweta, debuting after a move from Highlanders, delivered two assists, setting up Moses Shidolo and Albert Manenji.
Knowledge came on in the second half for his younger brother, bringing composure and leadership in his symbolic return to the domestic top flight, his first match since leaving Aces Youth Soccer Academy for Kaizer Chiefs as a teenager.
As I have said this before, our football is sinking deeper into obscurity. Imagine a team made of geriatrics making waves as the team of the moment. What is the average age in Scottland FC? Where will we get players to continue with football in the next few seasons? I honestly don’t see the excitement of playing the Dzvukamanjas, the Musonas, the Billiats, the Muduwas, the Pfumbudzayis of this world and hope to improve our football. I think Zimbabwe has a potential candidate for the world oldest football player in Innocent Benza at 54 years. The sooner we discourage projects like Scottland FC by limiting the number of geriatrics in any team playing in the PSL, the better for our football. Scottland is not a new team. It’s a bunch of old professional who don’t even need any coaching. Ndiraya cannot be proud of coaching such players. There is nothing more to teach Knowledge Musona or Pfumbudzayi or Billiat.