THE Premier Soccer League (PSL) has requested football mother body Zifa to provide them with the list of teams which were promoted to the Premier League so that they can inspect the stadiums the teams would be using next season.
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Four teams, Tsholotsho FC, Flame Lily, Hwahwa and Dongo Sawmills, were promoted from Division One.
PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele has requested Zifa to confirm the teams so that his office can start the stadium inspections and make recommendations where necessary.
“We are embarking on an early inspection. We have requested the Zifa Grounds Committee to travel with our competition department to inspect stadia and the stadia that will be used by new clubs. This will be done before the Christmas break. Some facilities have areas that need improvement. Inspecting the stadiums a week before the start of the games does not give local authorities ample time to rectify areas that need attention.
“We will give them (local authorities) at least two months to fix defects and request them not to overuse the facilities so that grass grows and when the second inspection is done in February (next year), there is some improvement. This is for the security of players, fans and officials. We have also requested Zifa to provide us with the list of promoted teams. We expect clubs to have lease agreements for the use of these stadiums,” Ndebele said.
Tsholotsho FC was promoted from the Zifa Southern Region and have said they want to use Hwange’s Colliery Stadium for their home matches instead of facilities in Bulawayo.
Plans are in place for the team to construct their own stadium which meets PSL requirements and they have already asked Information and Broadcasting Services minister Jonathan Moyo’s assistance to fulfill this dream.
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But in the meantime, they want to use the Colliery and have said they would soon start negotiations with the responsible authorities regarding the use of the Stadium.
Zimbabwe Prison Services-sponsored Hwahwa FC and Flame Lily won promotion after coming tops in the Central and Northern Region Division One leagues respectively.
However, reports suggest that the owner is not financially prepared to fund the two teams in the league and one franchise would be desposed — likely to be Hwahwa. A meeting to decide the two teams’ fate is on today.
In the Eastern Region, Dongo Sawmillls, formerly Buffaloes Junior won the championship and have said they will be using Vengere Stadium in Rusape.
