The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
ALMOST everything seems to be in limbo and the Premier Soccer League is literally in a fix.
The 2020 Premier Soccer League fixtures list cannot be released because the identity of the clubs that will participate this season is still not clear.
The Herentals match fixing saga, which has dragged on for over three months, has also thrown the league off the rails.
Three of the newly promoted sides, Bulawayo City, Tenax and Whawha, are yet to pay affiliation fees and, as of now, are not full members of the PSL.
Herentals were last Friday barred from the PSL Annual General Meeting.
PSL chairman Farai Jere said they didn’t want to be seen to be going against a ruling by one of their judicial arms, by allowing Herentals into the AGM.
Their case is now before the ZIFA’s Appeals Committee, as the club appealed against a PSL Disciplinary Committee ruling which left them in Division One after they were docked three points.
The case is over allegedly fixing their match against Black Rhinos in October, and has been postponed twice by the ZIFA Appeals, with judgment now expected on Friday, March 13.
It turns out that a Friday the 13th could determine the direction to be taken by the Premier Soccer League ahead of the 2020 season, which now looks certain to be delayed.
It is on the same Friday that the trio of Bulawayo City, Tenax and Whawha are expected to have paid the $208 000 affiliation fees.
“We can only come up with a fixture list after the 13th when all the issues have been settled,” PSL communications manager Kudzai Bare said.
The ZIFA Appeals Committee’s delay in concluding the Herentals saga also has implications on Chapungu, who could bounce back into the PSL if Herentals are found guilty of match manipulation and are subsequently relegated.
Chapungu have been preparing for Division One football under Moses Chunga all along but could wake up back in the PSL on Saturday morning.
A pre-season programme for a Premiership league is different from that of a Division One league and so are the budgets.
It is probably the reason why the Air force side even let go of the key duo of goalkeeper Talbert Shumba and tearaway winger Ian Nyoni, as they were going back to the lower league. If Herentals are to be thrown back to Division One, what will happen to Herentals players who stayed with the team in the hope that The Students would retain their Premiership status?
Most clubs have concluded their pre-season signings now, throwing into doubt any chances of Herentals players finding jobs at other PSL clubs, should the Innocent Benza-owned side be thrown out of the top flight.
Herentals coach Kumbirai Mutiwekuziwa last week told The Sunday Mail Sport his boys have not been distracted by the ongoing saga.
“We have been going about our preparations for the upcoming season well. We are not distracted, we remain focused,” he said.
Delta Beverages, the league’s traditional sponsors, are also watching as all this unfolds.
They are set to announce an improved three-year deal — believed to be worth about $75 million — in the next few days, but the sponsors will certainly have a word or two with the Premier Soccer League.
They will question why a case, that was heard in November, has taken so long to conclude.
However, internationally, match fixing cases have proven difficult to deal with.
It’s hard to come up with clear evidence that nails the accused in most cases.
Herentals have argued that one Oliver “Olaya” Chirega — who is accused of bribing Black Rhinos players through Rhinos team manager Gift Kamuriwo — acted in his own personal capacity.
While the PSL Disciplinary Committee separated Kamuriwo from Black Rhinos in dealing with the matter, it will be interesting to see why Chirega cannot be separated from Herentals.
