Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
ZIFA Southern Region will next week meet to deliberate on the Division One relegation debacle and resolve the number of teams that will be part of the campaign in 2018.
The association is yet to reveal the number of teams set to participate in the league next year or the number of teams to be relegated.
The bottom three teams in the First Division, Amagagasi, Chiwororo and Black Boots, will have to make way for Bantu Rovers, Tsholotsho and Hwange, who were chopped from the Premier Soccer League.
Musa Mandaza, the Zifa Southern Region chairman, said he is disappointed the region had most Premiership sides that were relegated.
“We were waiting to confirm with the teams joining from the Premier Soccer League, if they will be part of our league. This has surely been a sad year for the Southern Region because we’ve lost control of the Premiership,” said Mandaza.
“We will find out if the teams coming from the PSL will be with us next year because there are rumours flying around that some will not be around. After meeting the relegated sides sometime next week, we will then know if there’s need to relegate from Division One,” he said.
The Division One league ended the 2017 season with 13 active sides, having kicked off with 14 instead of 16 clubs. Victoria Falls Tigers were expelled from the league after missing three consecutive games.
Moto Moto and Technosphere withdrew before the start of the season, citing financial challenges.
“Remember that the clubs agreed to do away with a resolution to have 18 teams passed in 2015 and revert to a 16-team league, which we thought was going to improve the quality of competition in the league. What we want is for teams to be honest with us so that we don’t have sides that will withdraw and compromise the standard of our league,” Mandaza said.
Bulawayo Chiefs won the Southern Region Division One league title and will join giants Highlanders, How Mine, Chicken Inn and Bulawayo City in the topflight.
The Division One league has to accommodate four teams, two from Bulawayo and another two from the Matabeleland North Division Two leagues.
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