adminRaymond Jaravaza
THE Zifa Southern Region league is set to commence on 9 April for the 2016 season with a total of 18 teams vying for the sole ticket for promotion into the elite Premier Soccer League.
The league executive this year resolved to increase the number of teams to 18 from last seasona��s 16.
All the 18 clubs have until 15 March to pay for playersa�� registration while the deadline for affiliation fees has been set for 25 March.
Clubs are expected to fork out $20 for each player translating to $600 for a 30-member squad that comprises 25 senior players and five juniors.
For technical benches clubs will fork out $50 each for the coach and four other coaching staff totalling $250.
League chairman Musa Mandaza explained that despite the harsh economic conditions all clubs were expected to adhere to the deadline set by the executive.
a�?The deadline for the registration of players and technical benches has been set for 15 March to give time for the league administrator Augustine Ndlovu to travel to Harare where the final registration is done at the national football body offices,a�? said Mandaza.
a�?We also expect all the clubs to pay their affiliation fees by 24 March. The league will kick off on 9 April,a�? he added.
Newly promoted teams are required to fork out $3 000 in affiliation fees while clubs that are already part of the league will pay $2 500 each.
Meanwhile, our sister paper Chronicle carried an article in which the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) have reportedly discarded their franchise in the Zifa Southern Region league citing failure to pay former champions Quelaton $7 000.
NUST wrote to Quelaton notifying them of their decision to surrender the franchise.
Surprisingly NUST sent representatives to the Southern Region league annual general meeting (AGM) held last Saturday but did not raise the issue with the league executive.
The only team that was not represented at the AGM is Technosphere.
Mandaza professed ignorance at the news that NUST were pulling out of the league. He added that the tertiary institution club had paid outstanding fees owed to the league last month.
a�?NUST attended our annual general meeting and that issue was never raised so we are equally shocked that they have decided to pull out of the league. We learnt of their decision in the Press so until we receive an official letter from NUST, we cannot act on hearsay,a�? he said.
Online Reporter