Online Reporter
Onward Gangata [email protected]
MUCH of the focus in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League this season has been on the teams at the top of the log, the resurgence of CAPS United and Dynamos, new boys Hardrock’s solid start to life in the top flight.
Little care has been given to the battles and struggles of teams at the basement and the desperate fight to stay afloat.
As the season meanders towards the half way mark, the same old faces and names resurface in the battle between life and death, survival and oblivion.
Newly promoted teams and company owned sides, as they have often done in seasons gone by, are again at the epicentre of the relegation matrix.
Once cherished as the epitome of professionalism and a specimen of well run football teams, company owned sides today are a reference point of mediocrity.
Most recently, company owned teams have become weaker by every season especially with the emergence of the ‘moneybags.’
This past weekend was match day 11 which marks a third of the season and a glance at the log standings paints a grim picture for company owned teams.
Five of the bottom eight teams are owned by corporates or mining companies.
FC Platinum, ZPC Kariba, Triangle, TelOne and Manica Diamonds who recently got a new owner, while Agama who partnered with African Mineral Ventures(AMV) can be added to that list.
History of the relegation matrix in the past three seasons cast a dark shadow for these teams.
In 2023, army sides Black Rhinos and Cranborne Bullets went down together with Triangle and Sheasham.
The following season, Arenel Movers, Chegutu Pirates, Hwange and Bulawayo Chiefs were relegated.
While last season, Kwekwe United, Yadah, Bikita Minerals and Green Fuel faced the chop.
This means eight of the last 12 teams to be relegated in that period were either owned by companies or organisations.
Triangle after relegation in 2023, bounced back the following season, but still found themselves fighting relegation last year.
And after surviving the chop by a whisker, the Sugar Sugar boys are dicing with death again.
Now under Lloyd Chitembwe, the Lowveld side are pinning their hopes on mid-season reinforcements.
“The activities of the mid season window are to try and bring in new players,”Chitembwe said after the loss against Highlanders.
“These are players we believe will add value to the team, and we have every good reason to try and bolster the team….It’s not easy to come to a team and change a lot of things, but I have every reason to be optimistic.”
Gweru side, TelOne after an outstanding campaign last year when they finished fifth, they find themselves fighting for survival.
This is familiar territory for the Wifi Boys after they got relegated in 2019, before returning in 2024 when they needed Herbert Maruwa to save their dear life.
New TelOne coach Saul Chaminuka has boldly declared that the team will not go down.
“We are going to finish in the top 10,” declared Chaminuka “The team will survive and people are going to enjoy our game.”
Chaminuka is of the view that his wealth of experience will come in handy in the fight against relegation.
“I may be old but i’m a very modern coach who has gone to school and has seen it all, I doubt that there can be any substitute for experience in whatever area we can talk of.”
But perhaps the same old teams in the relegation matrix are refusing to learn, lessons about pragmatism and adaptability.
Like in life, every lesson one refuses to learn will keep repeating until they do.
ends
