Online Reporter
Langton Nyakwenda
Zimpapers Sports Hub
Bulawayo Chiefs walked back into the Premier Soccer League the loud way, online first, masks on, message blunt.
“NEW Ninja Assassins, Let the Games Begin,” the club posted on Facebook on Tuesday as they unveiled another batch of signings, wrapped in a stylised ninja video that spread fast across local football feeds.
This is not just a social media stunt. Chiefs return to the topflight after a season in the Southern Region Division One League, and they open the 2026 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League with a Bulawayo derby against Highlanders at Barbourfields on March 7. The timing matters.
Barbourfields has swallowed many promoted sides before, and Chiefs know survival starts immediately.
Coach John Nyikadzino has been hired to make sure the club’s return does not turn into another short stay. Chiefs were relegated at the end of the 2024 season after a collapse marked by unpaid players, thin squads, and off field instability.
A year in Division One forced a reset. The message now from Emagumeni is that the money is steadier and the planning tighter.
Ten new players have been brought in, and the mix shows what Chiefs are gambling on. The headline name is 14-year-old Dwayne Musona from Mutare based Majesa Academy, a bold move in a league that rarely trusts teenagers with real minutes. Chiefs are betting on upside and resale potential, but also on their ability to protect a child in a physical competition.
There is experience too. Winger Clive Rupiya, 26, arrives after stints at GreenFuel, CAPS United, and Harare City. He knows the league and knows its traps. Blessing Kagudu and Denzel Mapuwa also come from GreenFuel, while Busi Mathe joins from Bikita Minerals. Mapuwa is a Legends Academy product and has worn Zimbabwe Under 20 colours, a reminder that Chiefs are shopping for players with ceilings, not just bodies.
One of the quieter signings could matter more than the flashy ones. Thirty-year-old midfielder Maxwell Murimi has joined from Deportivo La Murambinda in Buhera. He is not a name that trends, but Chiefs have lacked control and calm in midfield before, especially during their relegation season. Murimi arrives with something to prove and no reputation to protect.
Chiefs had already moved early on other fronts. Former Chicken Inn top scorer Brian Muza is in the squad, alongside Kelly Shiyandindi from Hwange, Elvis Moyo from Scottland, and Melikhaya Ncube from Highlanders. That core gives Nyikadzino options across the front line and the wings, areas where Chiefs often faded late in games in 2024.
“We are happy we managed to get the players we desired,” Nyikadzino said. “Their presence will help us achieve our set targets.” He did not dress it up, and he did not promise miracles. The target is clear. Stay up, stabilise, then rebuild.
Preseason work began on Monday, but the groundwork started earlier. “Preparations for the preseason started last week with medicals and fitness tests,” Nyikadzino said. Chiefs are trying to avoid the chaos that defined previous campaigns, when players arrived late, unfit, or not registered in time.
The context still hangs over them. Two years ago, Chiefs lifted the Chibuku Super Cup, the biggest trophy in the club’s history. A year later, they were out of the league. That swing is why this return carries edge, not romance. The videos may win clicks, but Barbourfields will ask harder questions, starting with Highlanders on opening day.
