Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE 2026 Castle Lager Premiership season encountered unforeseen hiccups on the opening weekend as wet conditions around the country and the poor drainage at most of the stadiums almost spoiled the fun.
Giants Dynamos’ match against TelOne failed to kick off as initially scheduled at Ascot on Saturday and was only played in swampy conditions the following day.
Manica Diamonds hosted Simba Bhora at Gibbo on a waterlogged surface, which did not make it easy for the two teams.
The match between Ngezi Platinum Stars and FC Platinum on Saturday was played under difficult wet conditions at Baobab, following a downpour the previous night.
The situation at Rufaro was also far from ideal on Sunday after overnight rains left muddy patches on parts of the stadium before CAPS United trooped in to kick-start their campaign with a 2-1 win over Agama.
There were genuine concerns of players risking getting injured by playing on the drenched surfaces. At the same time, the PSL did not want to jeopardise their scheduling from the outset of the campaign.
As a result, the league bosses were forced to make the decision to postpone the match between Dynamos and TelOne after the Ascot turf became unplayable due to incessant rains in Gweru.
The match was rescheduled for Sunday morning.
PSL chief executive Rodwell Thabe said the postponement was effected “in the interest of player safety and to preserve the quality of the playing surface”.
Yet the match could still have failed to take place the following day because of the persistent wet conditions. The authorities used water pumps to drain the water-logged pitch. Still, both teams struggled to play their normal game as the ball could not flow naturally under the conditions.
Dynamos overpowered the hosts 2-1 courtesy of comeback goals from Frank Agyemang and Jairos Kasondo in the first half, after Jerry Chipangura had opened the scoring in under two minutes.
“It was a very difficult match, given that we played it in a waterlogged pitch, but the resistance we had and also the comeback was massive,” Dynamos coach, Genesis Mangombe, said.
“It was not really a match where you analyse performance because the pitch was badly affected by the rain.
“It was difficult for the players in many aspects, so it was more about fighting for the result and we managed to do that.”
Home team coach Herbert Maruwa also lamented the poor state of the pitch.
“It is always painful to lose, especially at the beginning of the season,” he said.
“But the pitch was very difficult for the kind of football we wanted to play. We cannot blame the players too much.”
According to Zimpapers Correspondent in Triangle, Oscar Rusenga, the situation at Gibbo on Sunday was also not conducive for good-flowing football.
Nonetheless, Simba Bhora grabbed a late winner in the 1-0 contest against Manica Diamonds.
“For much of the match, the conditions had shaped everything that followed. The soaked surface slowed attacks, broke the rhythm of passing moves and forced both teams to rely more on direct balls and physical battles than the flowing football they would normally prefer.”
The situation across the country was a stark reminder to the stadium owners of the need to invest in the facilities, more so in proper drainage to enhance the resilience of the turf during the rainy days.
The stadiums are inspected by the Premier Soccer League and ZIFA’s First Instance Body at the beginning of every season.
However, an official yesterday said the owners of these facilities have not heeded the repeated recommendations to upgrade their properties to satisfactory standards.
“The situation at the weekend was more of a force majeure. Natural weather conditions played a big part, but the state of our stadiums also leaves a lot to be desired.
“To be honest, much needs to be done by the stadium owners to spruce up the facilities. If the CAF and FIFA Club Licensing regulations were applied as they are during stadium inspections . . .
“The people responsible for the stadiums are the local authorities, not PSL or ZIFA. The owners of these facilities should be a bit more proactive. Maybe it’s an issue of misplaced priorities because these things have been said for a long time,” said the official.
The owners of these facilities have no obligation to make them available to football in the country. If teams want good stadia, they should build their own. I don’t think there are problems with either Heart Stadium that belongs to Walter Magaya and Yadah or the newly constructed Chahwanda Stadium in Kwekwe belonging to businessman Chahwanda and Hardrock Football Club. So councils or corporates that own facilities should not dance to the football industry’s tune to provide properly maintained facilities. They can do it only if they want to or can afford to do so. If clubs think they cannot play under such conditions, they are free not to and can higher better facilities in neighbouring countries. That is already being done at national level.
The owners of these facilities have no obligation to make them available to football in the country. If teams want good stadia, they should build their own. I don’t think there are problems with either Heart Stadium that belongs to Walter Magaya and Yadah or the newly constructed Chahwanda Stadium in Kwekwe belonging to businessman Chahwanda and Hardrock Football Club. So councils or corporates that own facilities should not dance to the football industry’s tune to provide properly maintained facilities. They can do it only if they want to or can afford to do so. If clubs think they cannot play under such conditions, they are free not to and can hire better facilities in neighbouring countries. That is already being done at national level.