PSL transfer window narrowed

Ricky Zililo,  Sports Reporter
THE country’s soccer governing body Zifa has brought the mid-season transfer-window deadline forward by a day, meaning that clubs have up to end of today to register or offload players.Due to the harmonised national elections set for tomorrow, the mid-season transfer-window which was scheduled to close on the last day of July has since been brought forward.

In a telephone interview from Harare yesterday, the Zifa spokesman Xolisani Gwesela confirmed the development and said no late entries would be allowed.

“I just spoke to the chief executive officer (Jonathan Mashingaidze) and Zifa’s position with regards to a possibility of extending the transfer deadline is that it will not be extended but it has instead been brought forward.

Since 31 July is a holiday, this means that clubs have to do all their transactions by end of the day tomorrow (today),” Gwesela said.
The development means that clubs have to hurry to conclude their deals to avoid missing on the players that they intend to sign.

The Castle Lager Premier Soccer League chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele said they would comply with Zifa’s instructions.
“As the PSL we are guided by what Zifa says and since they have said they are bringing the deadline forward, this means we just have to stick to that. I urge clubs to  conclude their deals and submit their players’ forms on time,” Ndebele said.

One club likely to be affected by the sudden change of deadline is Highlanders who are said to be interested in Tripple B’s striker Aleck Marime.
Highlanders’ coach Kelvin Kaindu has been looking for a striker to address his team’s impotence in front of goal and Marime who has scored eight Premiership goals for the Beitbridge side is one of the players that the Bulawayo giants are hoping to sign.

However, it emerged yesterday that Bosso are yet to approach Tripple B and the Bulawayo giants were expected to have a meeting last night to decide on some of their targets.

The Tripple B president Eddie Kanyangu said Marime told him yesterday that championship chasing Highlanders have indicated their desire to engage him.

Kanyangu is not amused.
“We haven’t bought any players or had any leaving our squad but we should conclude soon. The problem is what we have just heard about Highlanders engaging our player without our knowledge. If Highlanders want Marime they must put their request in writing. Marime is contracted to us for the next two and half years and Highlanders as a big club know that they have to engage us first before talking to the player,” said Kanyangu.

The Beitbridge club who are second from the bottom with 16 points from 18 matches are looking at adding more players to help them in their fight against relegation and are unlikely to release Marime. Some of the players linked to Tripple B include Chicken Inn’s duo of Julius Daudi and Dion Homela.

According to sources at Highlanders, the Bulawayo giants who recalled striker Gabriel Nyoni from Bulawayo Chiefs to ease their striking woes are interested in Marime and former Railstars’ Master Masitara.

Masitara has been plying his trade in Botswana for Nico United. Sources in Botswana yesterday said the Botswana club released the striker who like Njabulo Ncube thrives on good service in the box and this would require the team to be more creative in order to feed him with balls.

Contacted for comment the Highlanders chairman Peter Dube could not be drawn into revealing the players that they would add to their squad.
“We are having a meeting later in the evening with the coach and that is where we are going to talk about these transfers.

“There are players that we are offoading but we have to meet the coach first. We will let you know by the end of registration if there are new players who have joined us,” said Dube.

Chicken Inn who are likely to lose Tendai Ndoro, Felix Chindungwe, Mkhokheli Dube and Kudakwashe Mahachi to South African teams have signed Clemence Matawu, Dylan Chivandire and Charles Mutero.

How Mine were said to be interested in Qinani Sibanda, Ephraim Mazarura and Nyasha Mukumbi.
Former Caps United midfielder Pride Tafirenyika who last week tried his luck at How Mine is said to be training with the coalminers Hwange.