Online Reporter
Fungai Muderere, [email protected]
THE Zifa Southern Region Division One 2025 League action will resume in the first week of April, amid revelations that major sponsors are being courted to come on board.
The league’s spokesperson, Blessing Mbwanda, said they are still finalising arrangements regarding their preparations and potential sponsors.
“Our 2025 season should be starting in the first week of April. As for our preparations, I can say so far, so good. We are still finalising everything concerning preparations and the potential sponsors, whom I cannot name for now. But rest assured, this will not be a small sponsorship package. Something big is coming through,” said Mbwanda.
A fortnight ago, the league held its belated 2024 awards ceremony at Queens Sports Club, where the 11 best performers, Coach of the Year Mabelo Njekwa and Team of the Year, ZPC Hwange, were honoured.
Under the guidance of Njekwa, ZPC Hwange won the championship but will not be competing in the country’s elite football league as their franchise was sold to Norton-based MWOS.
Despite their outstanding efforts on the field, the power generators will not be playing in the top flight after entering into a strategic partnership with Norton-based MWOS, who will take their spot.
At the awards ceremony, the spectacular performances of goalkeeper Harmony Nare, striker Justin Kaunda and Israel Mkahanana did not go unnoticed, as they were instrumental in ZPC Hwange’s fine season that saw them being crowned champions.
The trio was joined in the region’s stars list by the Nkayi United duo of Tinotenda Chitete and Nhlanhla Fumpano.
Casymn also had two players—Tatenda Ushe and Wilfred Nzondo—among last year’s crème de la crème.
Hopewell Moyo (Zimbabwe Saints), Mbongeni Minezhi (Bulawayo City), Michael Tamela (Mainline) and Trevor Mugwagwa (Zebra Revolution) complete the list of last year’s best players of the season.
Ahead of the start of the 2025 season, former PSL sides Bulawayo Chiefs, Arenel Movers, Hwange and Zimbabwe Saints have all confirmed they will be competing together.
Casmyn, Nkayi United, Bulawayo City, Zimbabwe Saints and Adachi, who all finished in the top eight last season, will be looking to build on their performances.
Clubs such as the ambitious Talen Vision and Zebra Revolution cannot be counted out, as they were not pushovers in the last campaign.—@FungaiMuderere
