Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter

FOUR Premiership teams – Whawha, Tenax, Harare City and Bulawayo City – will officially be going down to first division, but not all their players will sink with them.

Bulawayo City still have a fighting chance of escaping but its mission impossible for them as they have to win by a 10 goal margin against Black Rhinos at Vengere on Saturday and hope that ZPC Kariba slip up against Herentals at Nyamhunga on the same day.

In the midst of the quartet’s dreadful season that cost them their slots in the topflight, some of their players shone.
A number of the footballers from the axed teams might fight themselves turning out for newly promoted sides, with the hope that their topflight experience will come handy during the 2023 campaign.

Former Premiership side Hwange are bouncing back to the topflight on a Southern Region Division One Soccer League ticket, with Central Region Soccer League winners Sheasham of Gweru, Simba Bhora from the Northern Region and Green Fuels of Chisumbanje who won the Eastern Region title promoted to the topflight.

Save for Harare City, Whawha, Tenax and Bulawayo City just spent a season in the topflight and could have paid dearly for inexperienced squads as they failed to match Premiership demands.

Chronicle Sport takes a look at some of the players from Whawha and Bulawayo City who are unlikely to sink into first division.
Players who caught the eyes of many from log anchors Whawha include 19-year-old striker Jayden Bakare who scored nine league goals.

Bakare is a firm contender for the Premier Soccer League’s Rookie of the Year award competed for by players born after January 1, 2003.

The Whawha striker’s instinct at goal saw him nearly joining Highlanders during the July transfer window with the deal collapsing at the 11th hour.

Bakare is unlikely to stay at Whawha and if the Bulawayo giants who had shown interest in his services fail to secure his signature, other clubs will snap him up.

Slippery 21-year-old Whawha winger Calum English Brown, gifted with amazing dribbling skills, pace and brilliant ball technique made his mark in the PSL and is certain to stay in the topflight.

Brown received rave reviews throughout the season, showing great individual brilliance as well as technical understanding in a team that failed to match other sides in terms of remunerating its players.

Chicken Inn have shown interest in the player and it will come as no surprise should he find himself on the books of the Gamecocks.

Bulawayo City have 23-year-old goalkeeper Reward Muza who is on loan from Highlanders. Muza wrestled the starting jersey from 31-year-old Bhekimpilo Ncube to become a regular starter at Bulawayo City.

With most teams preferring young players who they can later put on the transfer market and trade, 21-year-old Mpumelelo Bhebhe who made his PSL debut as a 16-year-old while turning out for Bantu Rovers in 2017 is likely to stay in the topflight when Bulawayo City sinks.

Bulawayo City’s central defender Lukas Sibanda (24) who joined the club from Chicken Inn, captain Melikhaya Ncube (25) who proved to be a vital cog in their futile campaign and 22-year-old utility player Genius Mutungamiri were impressive for the local authority bankrolled club.

Former Orlando Pirates development striker Rodi Sibanda (22) who was on-loan from Highlanders and gangly forward Dalubuhle Dlodlo (24) could also find new Premiership homes. — @ZililoR

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter

FOUR Premiership teams – Whawha, Tenax, Harare City and Bulawayo City – will officially be going down to first division, but not all their players will sink with them.

Bulawayo City still have a fighting chance of escaping but its mission impossible for them as they have to win by a 10 goal margin against Black Rhinos at Vengere on Saturday and hope that ZPC Kariba slip up against Herentals at Nyamhunga on the same day.

In the midst of the quartet’s dreadful season that cost them their slots in the topflight, some of their players shone.
A number of the footballers from the axed teams might fight themselves turning out for newly promoted sides, with the hope that their topflight experience will come handy during the 2023 campaign.

Former Premiership side Hwange are bouncing back to the topflight on a Southern Region Division One Soccer League ticket, with Central Region Soccer League winners Sheasham of Gweru, Simba Bhora from the Northern Region and Green Fuels of Chisumbanje who won the Eastern Region title promoted to the topflight.

Save for Harare City, Whawha, Tenax and Bulawayo City just spent a season in the topflight and could have paid dearly for inexperienced squads as they failed to match Premiership demands.

Chronicle Sport takes a look at some of the players from Whawha and Bulawayo City who are unlikely to sink into first division.
Players who caught the eyes of many from log anchors Whawha include 19-year-old striker Jayden Bakare who scored nine league goals.

Bakare is a firm contender for the Premier Soccer League’s Rookie of the Year award competed for by players born after January 1, 2003.

The Whawha striker’s instinct at goal saw him nearly joining Highlanders during the July transfer window with the deal collapsing at the 11th hour.

Bakare is unlikely to stay at Whawha and if the Bulawayo giants who had shown interest in his services fail to secure his signature, other clubs will snap him up.

Slippery 21-year-old Whawha winger Calum English Brown, gifted with amazing dribbling skills, pace and brilliant ball technique made his mark in the PSL and is certain to stay in the topflight.

Brown received rave reviews throughout the season, showing great individual brilliance as well as technical understanding in a team that failed to match other sides in terms of remunerating its players.

Chicken Inn have shown interest in the player and it will come as no surprise should he find himself on the books of the Gamecocks.

Bulawayo City have 23-year-old goalkeeper Reward Muza who is on loan from Highlanders. Muza wrestled the starting jersey from 31-year-old Bhekimpilo Ncube to become a regular starter at Bulawayo City.

With most teams preferring young players who they can later put on the transfer market and trade, 21-year-old Mpumelelo Bhebhe who made his PSL debut as a 16-year-old while turning out for Bantu Rovers in 2017 is likely to stay in the topflight when Bulawayo City sinks.

Bulawayo City’s central defender Lukas Sibanda (24) who joined the club from Chicken Inn, captain Melikhaya Ncube (25) who proved to be a vital cog in their futile campaign and 22-year-old utility player Genius Mutungamiri were impressive for the local authority bankrolled club.

Former Orlando Pirates development striker Rodi Sibanda (22) who was on-loan from Highlanders and gangly forward Dalubuhle Dlodlo (24) could also find new Premiership homes. — @ZililoR