adminBothwell Mahlengwe
The just ended season was just what the doctor ordered. It had everything in it, from good organisation, good entertainment, emotional upheaval, competitiveness and drama.
Well, many might argue that the quality of play has gone down but it is worth mentioning and appreciating when something good is done. In this life, of economic hardships and social challenges, it is not just refreshing to see some order especially in our football. It is invigorating, and it gives hope for a better tomorrow.
It goes without saying that football is our number one sport here in Zimbabwe and as such it is followed by the majority of the population. When there is order and entertainment in football it filters into the lives of many whether it is for a minute, an hour, a day, or a week. For that moment, the lives of those people are transformed for the better.
As a person who is heavily invested in Zimbabwe football, I enjoy it when I see our league, the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League being run in an orderly and professional manner. It gives me hope that somewhere in the lives of Zimbabweans there is something going in the positive direction.
I can safely say PSL outdid itself in 2014 and their Board, Management and Staff should be complimented for a sterling job they did.
For starters, they held their general elections in a manner not associated with football elections. Even, FIFA elections are known to be riddled with vote-buying, underhand dealings and outright mafia-style disqualifications but the PSL general elections went smoothly with some people not even noticing.
The league itself flew by with little if any disturbances. Yes, they were hiccups and disagreements here and there but they were dealt with in a timely and amicable way never seen before. Even ad-hoc match postponements caused by either PSL or any other authority were handled in a sober-minded manner with minimal squabbles, that is, if there were any.
The management tried with a great deal of success to have all teams on the same number of games at all times. I can say with a high level of certainty that we didn’t have any fixtures congestion for any club. Eventualities were immediately solved in an acceptable way to many people’s satisfaction.
One thing that stood out in the 2014 season was the competitiveness of the league from start to finish. The quality of play might be a debatable issue but no one can argue that our league is now more competitive than before.
It was no longer about the traditional big teams but all teams had a fair chance of clinching the title. The ground seemed evened out for any team to compete as there was no grain of favouritism to any team especially the so-called big guns.
What was a relief to note was the self-elimination of the fear for corrupt activities in the league especially at the end of the league race as up to the last day every team still had something to play for.
The elimination of four teams from the top flight has made the relegation battle a fierce one to fight. This has been a contentious issue at PSL offices because of other reasons but my feeling is that the advantages and benefits it has brought to the league far outweigh the disadvantages and pitfalls.
It was there for everyone to see that the battle in the 2014 league race went to the wire. Up to the last day of the league with two teams already relegated, six others could still face the chop.
At the top of the log, there was still the fight for the championship between Dynamos and ZPC Kariba.
CAPS United still had a mathematical chance of finishing in the top two and reap the benefits of such a feat come 2015 season.
To add on to the championship race and the top two finish, there was still the race to finish in the top four and the top eight. The Chibuku Super Cup had made sure that a top eight finish is still worth to fight for after the withdrawal by BancABC of a similar tournament.
The rich pickings of the revised Mbada Diamonds Cup had made the battle for the top four finish a worthwhile proposition. Although the tournament was eventually postponed, its effect on the competitiveness of the league had already been felt.
It is everyone’s wish that it sees the light of the day especially with the huge challenges facing the Zimbabwean diamond mining companies on the international arena.
My wish is that we should have at least one tournament for each category, that is, top two, top four, and top eight and all the 16 clubs. That way there would be added incentives for the teams to finish in those categories.
As a vote of confidence, PSL got a new suitor in the form of TM Pick ‘n’ Pay Challenge Cup. Although it was on trial run basis, it is my sincere hope that it will become a permanent feature on our league calendar as the benefits to both the sponsor and the league were there for all to see.
Another vote of confidence was the introduction of the Chibuku Super Cup by the main league sponsors, Delta Beverages.
All in all, 2014 season had a total of eight competitions, that is, the Castle Lager PSL, Net One Cup, TM Pick ‘n’ Pay Challenge Cup, Chibuku Super Cup, Independence Trophy, Gushungo Cup, Bob ’90 and the ZNA Charity Shield.
This is a commendable feat by any standards especially in this challenging economic environment. And the financial rewards that came with these tournaments are an icing on the cake even though they were dwarfed by those offered by the involvement of Mbada Diamonds and Banc ABC in the previous seasons.
The composition of the top 11 players of the season was something that hasn’t been the norm in all the previous years. Last season was a year maturity reigned over youth. The bulk of the players that graced the 2014 calendar were over 30 years of age. All in all we should be grateful to the way PSL ran the 2014 season. Yes, there were hiccups here and there but it was a well organised and professionally run league race.
We can only hope for a better and more competitive 2015 season. And with the way the preparations are panning out, we are definitely in for a blast.
Online Reporter