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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
A WAR between the Castle Lager Premier Soccer league and Zifa could erupt at the end of the season as the former insists that only two clubs would be relegated. PSL have said they will welcome two teams who would have been promoted from Division One despite the fact that there are four second tier leagues in the country, the Southern, Northern, Central and Eastern Regions.
In March, then Zifa vice-president Ndumiso Gumede said the association would hold a Champion of Champions tournament featuring the four regional winners with the top two winners getting an automatic entry into the elite league.
“The bottom two teams from the Champion of Champions clashes would then be involved in play-offs against the two teams who would have finished on position 13 and 14 in the Premier League.
“Once we have our final standings, the first and second placed teams from the play offs will then proceed to the PSL. It might be the two teams from the Premiership, the two from Division One or even one from each league,” said Gumede then.
Gumede has since left Zifa and is now the Highlanders chief executive officer.
The league’s chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele told Chronicle Sport on Wednesday that as far as they were concerned only two teams from the lower leagues would be coming on board.
“We are relegating two teams and accepting two,” said Ndebele.
Reminded that there are four leagues in Division One whose regional winners are eyeing promotion Ndebele said;
“I know that but we don’t really know how they will do it but as PSL we are chopping two teams and expecting a similar number,” said Ndebele.
Some commentators have been advocating for a single National Division One League.
In the adopted Zifa Constitution, there is a provision for a National League but lack of sponsorship has seen that project failing to take off.
Play offs are now a common feature in most leagues around the globe. In South Africa, only the bottom team from their 16-team league gets relegated with winners of the National Division One getting the sole automatic ticket to the elite league.
Play offs then feature the second last team in the Premiership against the second and third placed team in the second tier league.
Online Reporter