No clear favourites as 2026 Southern Region campaign begins in earnest

THE rebranded Pacific Breeze Southern Region Soccer League takes centre stage this weekend as the 2026 season kicks off, and with it comes that familiar thrum of possibility, the sense that somewhere in this division a story is about to start that ends under Premier League lights. One ticket is on offer, one ladder to climb, and an entire cast of hopefuls ready to scrap for every rung until someone reaches the top.

It promises to be an open race as there are no clear favourites. After Bulawayo Chiefs gained promotion last year, only Hwange and Bulawayo City remain with previous Premier League experience. If any of the other clubs earn promotion, it will be their first time playing in the top flight. That detail alone gives the league an edge — ambition meeting opportunity, history waiting to be written by a name that has not yet been etched on the big stage.

The season kicked off last weekend with the dress rehearsal, the Dibula Matibula Top 4 Cup tournament at White City Stadium, which was played on Saturday and Sunday. Nkayi United emerged as the winners with a convincing 2-0 win over Hwange, which slightly marks them as title favourites. It was more than just a prelude; it was a statement of intent, a reminder that early sharpness can harden into belief when the real points start counting.

Turk Mine outfit Casmyn FC, under the tutelage of Charles Makurusha, finished third after a 3–2 victory over Bulawayo City on Sunday. After the match, Makurusha stated that they are pushing for promotion this season. With forgotten former Southern Region top goal scorer Stanson Khanye scoring a brace last weekend, they appear to have assembled a decent side. There is something quietly persuasive about a side that scores freely and speaks plainly about its ambitions, and Casmyn have that look.

They also snapped up former Bosso 90 utility player Sipho Ncube to bolster their backline. A signing like that is a nod to pragmatism in a league where a single lapse can undo a month’s good work.

“We are now ready for the season, although I’m unhappy with how we gave away the two goals against BCC. It was a good tournament to assess where we stand before the start of the season. We played well in this tournament, and I’m confident that we can push for the title fight,” he said.

Makurusha believes that Nkayi will provide the strongest competition.

“The match we played against Nkayi on Saturday was the toughest. They have a good team that has depth. I can say that so far, I think they are the team to beat,” he concluded.

The verdict feels honest rather than cautious, and it casts the early narrative: the hunter sizing up the hunted, the hunted welcoming the chase.

Nkayi have added veterans Kelvin Madzongwe, Cleopas Dube, and Toto Banda to their ranks. Coupled with youngsters such as Moreblessing Ernesto, who was outstanding in the cup competition, Nhlanhla Fumapano, Tino Chitete, and Irvine Munkombwe — who was released by Chicken Inn — they have a strong team. Experience at the spine, pace and hunger at the edges; it is the kind of blend that turns promising weekends into sustained campaigns.

Hwange coach Njabulo Dube was quick to point out that his team’s performance for the 2026 season cannot be judged by the cup.

“This was just a preparatory cup competition, and teams can only underestimate us at their own risk if they use this cup to rate us. “The league is different. It’s a marathon. We are ready for the season, and if you look at the match, it was a game of two halves. They had a good first-half, and we came back strong in the second-half. It will be an exciting season,” he concluded.

The tone is familiar to anyone who has followed promotion races: calm on the surface, a steel thread beneath.

Hwange are perennial favourites, and with the addition of youngsters such as former Black Rock defender Alvin Ngirazi, Tamuka Chivandire, and John Chinyerere, they also have a competitive side.

They also signed Justin Kaunda, who has back-toback promotion medals with Megawatt (formerly ZPC Hwange) and Hardrock. Those are the kinds of details that matter in a tight division — a defender who knows the grind, a player whose medals whisper that he understands how to finish a job others only talk about.

Megawatt and Talen Vision also appear strong. They are also in contention for promotion to the top flight. Talen Vision recruited Mkhuphali Masuku, who returned to the team, and they have signed Bulawayo Chiefs’ Gabriel Dlodlo, as well as Highlanders rejects Mthabisi Ncube and Tendai Muvuti, among others. It reads like intent across the board, clubs rearranging their pieces to make sure they are in the right places when the season turns from hopeful to decisive.

With the season kicking off this weekend, it all points to an open race where all the teams will be motivated to fight for promotion. In a league this finely poised, momentum can belong to anyone who dares to seize it; by Sunday evening, the first clues will already be written across the table, and the long chase to the Premier League will have truly begun.