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THE Zifa Southern Region League has increased affiliation fees for Division One Soccer League clubs with a board member Bryton Malandule saying operational challenges necessitated the move.
Old clubs have to pay $2,500 up from $1,800 while league debutantes have to fork out $3,000 compared to last season’s $2,200.
League action starts on the first weekend of April with clubs expected to pay their affiliation fees by Friday, March 28 on the day they submit their final squads.
The newcomers who will pay more are Portland Cement, Old Nic Mine, Hwange’s Kabwe Warriors and Victoria Falls’ Trumus FC.
“As you might be aware, the region now has a responsibility of managing provinces that includes paying the administrators as well as other operational activities. The other thing is that when we got in we discovered that there were debts that have been accumulating since 2011 and we have to settle those. For example, we owe the Bulawayo City Council more than $5,000 and we cannot operate if the council closes our water. So, once clubs start paying, we will clear that bill,” Malandule said.
He said once they are financially sound, they will return to old fees.
Some clubs have in the last two seasons failed to pay their affiliation fees in full.
Malandule said they have to get a sponsor to cushion clubs from high affiliation fees.
“The league has been operating without a sponsor since 2011 and that has led to clubs to carry the burden of the region. What we need to look for is a sponsor to ease some of the things.”
Besides paying the affiliation fees, clubs will have to pay $20 per player for processing licences.
Fixtures
WEEK 1: New West v Trumus (Luveve), Mpumalanga v Old Nic Mine (Hwange), Portland Cement v Elephant FC (Portland Cement), ZPC Hwange v Kabwe Warriors (Hwange), Plumtree Chiefs v Hwange Under-20 (Plumtree), Tsholotsho v Quelaton (Tsholotsho), Black Boots v Ntabazinduna (Fairbridge), Technosphere v Zimbabwe Saints (Hwange)
WEEK 2: Kabwe Warriors v Technosphere (Hwange), Trumus v Plumtree Chiefs (Victoria Falls), Hwange Under-20 v Tsholotsho (Hwange), Old Nic Mine v Black Boots (Old Nic Mine), Elephant FC v ZPC Hwange (Brad Barracks), Zimbabwe Saints v New West (White City), Ntabazinduna v Portland Cement (Ntabazinduna), Quelaton v Mpumalanga (Nust)
WEEK 3: Portland Cement v Old Nic Mine (Portland Cement), ZPC Hwange v Ntabazinduna (Hwange), Technosphere v Elephant FC (Hwange), New West v Kabwe Warriors (Luveve), Plumtree Chiefs v Zimbabwe Saints (Plumtree), Tsholotsho v Trumus (Tsholotsho), Mpumalanga v Hwange Under-20 (Hwange), Black Boots v Quelaton (Fairbridge)
WEEK 4: Old Nic Mine v ZPC Hwange (Old Nic Mine), Ntabazinduna v Technosphere (Ntabazinduna), Elephant FC v New West (Brad Barracks), Zimbabwe Saints v Tsholotsho (White City), Trumus v Mpumalanga (Victoria Falls), Hwange Under-20 v Black Boots (Hwange), Quelaton v Portland Cement (Nust), Kabwe Warriors v Plumtree Chiefs (Hwange)
WEEK 5: Tsholotsho v Kabwe Warriors (Tsholotsho), Black Boots v Trumus (Fairbridge), Portland Cement v Hwange Under-20 (Portland Cement), ZPC Hwange v Quelaton (Hwange), Technosphere v Old Nic Mine (Hwange), New West v Ntabazinduna (Luveve), Plumtree Chiefs v Elephant FC (Plumtree), Mpumalanga v Zimbabwe Saints (Hwange)
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