Online Reporter
Tongai Mashonga
KWEKWE United’s debut season in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League has ended in heartbreak, but the spirit inside their camp is far from broken.
The mining town club, promoted with such excitement last year, became the first side confirmed for relegation after a 2-0 loss to Chicken Inn at Luveve Stadium on Saturday.
With only 10 points from 28 matches, even six straight wins would leave them on 28 points, nowhere near safety.
It’s been a bruising baptism. The team, hailed for restoring top flight football to Kwekwe, never played in their home town because no local ground met PSL standards. Their relegation will go down as one of the league’s leanest point hauls in recent memory.
Coach Masimba Dinyero, the 1989 Soccer Star of the Year and United’s third head coach this term after Saul Chaminuka and Paul Chimalizeni, was reflective but defiant.
“Yes, we’ve been relegated. There are no chances of survival anymore,” Dinyero admitted. “But this is a good team.
It’s just that a lot of things contributed to our fate. We struggled with player welfare and motivation, which meant many of the boys had to deal with pressing family issues instead of focusing fully on football. It affects their mental strength on the pitch.”
He spoke candidly about the challenge of managing a squad without resources.
“The team didn’t have enough resources, yet positive results were expected. As a coach, you want to win games, but at times I found myself helping the players off the pitch as much as on it. I thank these young boys showing character.
We may have lost our PSL status, but they fought with spirit. It’s not over, we’re still playing for pride and for each other,” Dinyero said.
United’s final six fixtures pit them against giants like Dynamos and Caps United, as well as Scottland FC, MWOS FC and TelOne FC.
For fans, those matches are now about defiance rather than survival.
For players, it’s a stage to prove themselves and attract suitors. For the club, it’s a chance to lay a foundation for a stronger comeback.
