Veronica Gwaze-Zimpapers Sports Hub
PREMIER and Rainbow Netball leagues have reached a defining stage, with the championship battles now on a knife-edge and new champions already standing in the horizon.
In the Premier Netball League (PNL), defending champions ZDF Queens have been derailed in dramatic fashion after suffering defeats to title rivals Chapungu and Makate Highflyers.
ZDF lost 36-37 to Chapungu before a latest 49-47 defeat at the hands of Makate to end their unbeaten run spanning over two years.
The two shock losses have dampened two time PNL champions’ title defence ambitions while blowing the race wide open for closest rivals Chapungu and Makate.
Chapungu and Makate now control their own destinies, with a single defeat to their names and yet to face each other in the second round. Having comfortably occupied the top PNL spot with 54 points in 30 games, ZDF had opened a buffer before dropping points, allowing Chapungu and Makate to catch up as they are now tied at 54 points apiece, each with a game in hand.
In the first round, Chapungu edged Makate 23-22 in a crowd- puller which lived up to its billing, before Makate bounced back to stun ZDF, while Chapungu had earlier fallen to Makate.
The permutations are simple yet tense considering that whoever wins the second-round showdown between Chapungu and Makate will likely be crowned champions.
ZDF, who dominated the league in recent seasons, now needs favours from elsewhere to stay in contention, a position unfamiliar to the army side.
“We did ourselves well by grabbing a win against ZDF; it places us in good standing and relieves us of last-minute pressure,” said Chapungu head coach Tatenda Shinya.
“After winning against Harare City recently, it means that we now have fewer threats to face and, in this case, we need to avoid defeat to Makate at all costs to stay safe.
“Makate also did us a favour when they beat ZDF because, in a way, it threw them out of the race, leaving the two of us (Chapungu and Makate), meaning that heading into our game, we all need maximum points.”
Chapungu will host Makate on Friday at Manyame Air Base, with the winner likely to eventually bag the championship at the end of the season.
Meanwhile, in the Rainbow Amateur Netball League (RANL), Correctional Queens are closing in on a fourth title, third on the bounce after winning it in 2019, 2024 and 2025. Their crucial 52-39 victory over bitter rivals Glow Petroleum Queens placed them in RANL pole position to retain the title.
The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional side have in fact shown championship mettle, grinding out results when it mattered most.
However, after shrugging off Glow, their closest rival, Correctional Queens would have been expected to relax a bit.
Yet they are not stopping; they remain wary of the threat posed by the emerging Mutare based force, Santa Queens, who have been the surprise package of the season.
Based on their playing personnel, technical team, and current form, Santa are capable of setting an established order.
“After beating Glow, we should not be complacent because we have another hurdle in the form of Santa; they have become unpredictable, so they are a side that you cannot approach casually,” said Correctional Queens head coach Faith Matanganyidze.
“The Glow match helped us identify areas that need to be worked on, and that is what we are currently doing because we have to be in our best form against Santa . . . it will be a big game for us.”
With a few games left, both leagues promise a photo finish after taking the races to the wire.
