PSL succumbs

By The NewsDay | Jan. 21, 2017 | 2 Min read

THE relegation/promotion football saga that had threatened to disrupt the start of the upcoming league season has finally come to an amicable conclusion, after the Premier Soccer League (PSL) yesterday resolved to adopt a Zifa resolution to promote four teams into the top-flight league with two demoted to the lower leagues.

BY HENRY MHARA

A Zifa assembly recently met, where members unanimously maintained that two teams would be relegated from the league, while four from the regional leagues would be promoted to play in the PSL for the 2017 season.

The PSL has previously resisted the resolution, straining relations between the soccer controlling body and its affiliate.

The PSL wanted to have two teams going up and an equal number going down. So adamant was the PSL that they even took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland.

Initially, Zifa wanted four teams to be relegated.

Chicken Inn chairman, Lifa Ncube, who was one of the people against Zifa on the matter, consequently resigned as the fallout escalated.

It appears the PSL board of governors finally gave in to the pressure from Zifa and yesterday in their meeting decided to adopt the Zifa resolution. This means the league will have 18 teams next term.

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In a Press statement released after the meeting, the PSL said it would “formally withdraw the case CAS 2016/O/4873 Premier Soccer League and all vs Zimbabwe Football Association from the CAS,” and “adopt the Zifa assembly resolution of demoting two clubs and promoting four clubs at the end of the 2016 season.

“The governors also resolved to engage Zifa through the Sports and Recreation Commission to find an amicable solution to the interference by Zifa in the administration and operations of the PSL.” The meeting also set the date for the new football league season with action set to begin on April 1.