Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
TOP-FLIGHT players would have to brace for demanding months ahead after the Premier Soccer League yesterday revealed that they will be breaking with tradition and will forego the mid-season break this year.
The PSL are envisaging a congested fixture programme in a year which will end with the senior national team – the Warriors – travelling to Morocco for the Africa Cup of Nations in December.
Traditionally, the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League programme goes for a breather after Match-day 17 when the mid-season transfer window also opens.
It is during such a break that clubs review their performances, beef up their squads, while some of the players on the injury list would be hoping to make the most of the break to visit the treatment tables.
The PSL, however, said in a memo to member clubs that they were also expecting the return of the ZIFA Cup after a prolonged absence, which should add to a fixture congestion that will also include the Chibuku Super Cup games.
“Be advised that the Premier Soccer League will be proceeding with the 2025 season fixtures with Match-day 18 being scheduled for the weekend of 28-29 June 2025,’’ read part of the PSL memo.
“This is to enable the clubs to ease off the expected fixture congestion that will occur in the later stages of the season when we commence the Chibuku Super Cup fixtures and in order to reduce the number of mid-week fixtures, which are not ideal for our league due to the constrained travelling arrangements.
“At this stage, we, however, are still scheduled to partake in a few unavoidable mid-week fixtures, which will be published in due course.
“Furthermore, we potentially have an unconfirmed ZIFA Cup and CHAN fixtures that have not been incorporated into our current schedule, but is being planned for by ZIFA and may further result in potentially more mid-week scheduling than expected.
“The league will, however, endeavour to observe breaks for local matches during the FIFA calendar window in September, October and November where possible,” the PSL said.
The PSL have already had to grapple with limited number of venues that passed the ZIFA First Instance Body’s inspection and were homologated for the 2025 season.
Away from the looming congested programme, leaders MwOS, who were in action on Thursday when they edged CAPS United in a lively encounter at Ngoni, will visit 2023 champions Ngezi Platinum Stars at Baobab tomorrow.
The unbeaten Punters underlined their title credentials with a 2-1 win over resurgent CAPS United to return to the summit, just 24 hours after champions Simba Bhora had dislodged them following their own 1-0 win over Bikita Minerals at Wadzanai.
Now MWOS are looking to complete the first half of the season unbeaten.
Their coach Lloyd Mutasa knows the 90 minutes against the Mhondoro miners will not be easy.
“Yeah, Ngezi Platinum will never be an easy game. It will be a very difficult assignment,” said Mutasa.
“My boys have that belief and I believe they now carry the right mentality.
“We are going all out to try and stamp our authority in Mhondoro.”
CAPS United looked sharp against MWOS, but still failed to squeeze at least a point from their short trip to Norton.
Their coach Ian Bakala has made no secret of his disappointment with the loss to MWOS.
“Yes, we were coming from a two-game winning streak, but we are very disappointed with the loss.
“We need to quickly turn it around and try to pick the momentum again,’’ said Bakala.
Makepekepe host struggling Kwekwe United at Rufaro tomorrow.
Fellow struggling giants Dynamos will look to pick yet another positive result against FC Platinum at Mandava tomorrow having managed to win only their second game of the season with a 1-0 triumph over against Yadah Stars at Rufaro on Thursday.
Scottland, who seem to reserve their best for their home games, receive fourth-placed TelOne at Rufaro this afternoon in what should be an intriguing battle of wits between Tonderai Ndiraya for the hosts and Herbert “Jompano’’ Maruwa for the visitors.
Fixtures:
Today: Scottland v TelOne (Rufaro), Bikita Minerals v Manica Diamonds (Gibbo), ZPC Kariba v Herentals (Nyamhunga)
Tomorrow: Triangle v GreenFuel (Gibbo), CAPS United v Kwekwe United (Rufaro), Ngezi Platinum Stars v MWOS (Baobab), Highlanders v Chicken Inn (Barbourfields), Yadah v Simba Bhora (Heart), FC Platinum v Dynamos (Mandava)
