IT’S BACK…PSL action returns

Fungai Muderere

IT may not be the best or richest league in Africa but it is one of the loudest!

Whatever the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League is in general, a fevered whoop here, a wry grin there, a pumped fist held aloft . . . the excitement is tangible as the 2019 season explodes.

Action begins on Saturday, after the 2018 term that saw FC Platinum emerge as the eventual winners of the country’s elite football league’s coveted title for the second year running.

The pre-season period has come and gone. 

Clubs have been spending and the immediate impact has been to make the country’s top flight league even more alluring for players from neighbouring countries. You talk of Zambian Peter Nyirenda, who arrived at Highlanders in January, Chicken Inn assessed a Malawian striker, Muhammad Sulumba after confirming their bid to rope in Mozambican forward Belito Antonio.

Dynamos are still waiting for the clearance papers of their foreign trio of Herve Vincent Mbega, Ngahan Claude Junior (both Cameroon) and Robert Sackey (Ghana).

Norman Mapeza

The list is just endless but whether this is healthy for the rest of the clubs remains to be seen, but it has certainly made the Zimbabwe elite football league look a great deal more intriguing, and a few of the sides in the middle look just a little more dangerous. Some of those cheap three points might be a little pricier.

Down at the bottom, meanwhile, all four of the newly-promoted sides come with their own intrigues. Hwange represent the incursion into the Premier League of the Nation “Malume” Dube project. Mushowani Stars, Jairos Tapera’s TelOne and free spending Manica Diamonds are, by virtue of their promotions, PSL’s brightest young things. All will likely struggle, for such is the way of the world. But none look fundamentally doomed, and one wonders if these upstarts might shake the esteemed clubs.

Joey Antipas

Just like the past season, one wonders if the 2019 season will be a case of thrills and spills as many local football enthusiasts have observed the championship races being taken to the wire in the past years.

Goals galore will be expected and in the opening week of the 2018 season a total of 14 goals were scored. Eleven were home goals while the remainder was scored by away teams.

Coincidentally, just like in the 2015 and 2016 seasons Highlanders will start the season with an away fixture against Black Rhinos at National Sports Stadium.

Harare City welcome defending champions FC Platinum at Rufaro Stadium.

Chicken Inn, who enjoyed home advantage from 2015 in their Week One encounters, get off the blocks with another home game against ZPC Kariba at Luveve Stadium.

Mushowani Stars entertain DeMbare at Rufaro Stadium while Chapungu play host to Bulawayo Chiefs at Mandava Stadium.

On Sunday, National Sports Stadium will be the venue for the game between Caps United and Manica Diamonds. Triangle will do battle against Ngezi Platinum Stars at Gibbo Stadium. 

League returnees Hwange will open their campaign with a home tie against Yadah while Herentals and TelOne clash at Rufaro.

Match Day 1 Fixtures

Friday: Harare City v FC Platinum (Rufaro Stadium)

Saturday: Black Rhinos v Highlanders (National Sports Stadium), Chicken Inn v ZPC Kariba (Luveve Stadium), Mushowani Stars v Dynamos (Rufaro), Chapungu v Bulawayo Chiefs (Mandava)

Sunday: Caps United v Manica Diamonds (National Sports Stadium), Triangle United v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Gibbo Stadium), Hwannge v Yadah (Colliery Stadium), Herentals v TelOne (Rufaro).

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