THE 2026 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) season roared to life last weekend, but it was not the anticipated thrilling football action that grabbed the headlines.
While fans expected exciting football duels across the country, what they witnessed was more akin to water polo.
In a season heralded as a renaissance for the domestic game — fuelled by the deep pockets of business moguls and the arrival of financially stable outfits — the state of our infrastructure remains the stubborn, muddy relic of the past.
It is an embarrassment that on the very first week of what promised to be a historic season, talk was not about tactical brilliance, but of drainage pipes and puddles.
The opening fixtures were not a showcase of skill, but a desperate battle against the elements.
At Ascot Stadium in Gweru, the much-anticipated clash between giants Dynamos and TelOne turned into a logistical farce.
The match was postponed on Saturday due to a waterlogged pitch and was played under similar circumstance on Sunday morning. Even then, the unplayable surface made a mockery of tactical plans.
While DeMbare managed to scrape a 2–1 victory away from home, TelOne rightfully feel aggrieved; the spirit of fair play is drowned when a swamp, rather than an opponent, neutralises a team’s strategy.
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PSL's decision to proceed under such conditions felt less like "the show must go on" and more like a disregard for product quality.
This was no isolated incident.
Rufaro Stadium, the spiritual home of Zimbabwean football, presented a mud-trap near the dugouts during the Caps United versus newcomers Agama FC encounter.
One side of the pitch was dangerously slippery, posing a serious injury threat to any player who dared to sprint.
Similarly, at Gibbo Stadium in Triangle and at Baobab Stadium in Ngezi, matches were played virtually in stagnant water.
When Ngezi Platinum beat fellow platinum miners FC Platinum, it was a test of endurance rather than a demonstration of the high-level football these two sides are capable of producing.
The irony is palpable. We are seeing unprecedented private investment in clubs. Scottland FC, the defending champions owned by legislator Scott Sakupwanya, have promised a US$30 million state-of-the-art facility.
MWOS FC has renovated Ngoni Stadium and teams like Chicken Inn, Simba Bhora, and Hardrock came into the league with solid financial backing.
The shining light of the weekend was undoubtedly the newly constructed Chahwanda Stadium in Kwekwe.
Despite the incessant rains, its top-notch drainage system ensured the high-profile match between Hardrock and Scottland remained a spectacle, proving that when there is a will to build correctly, the weather becomes a non-factor.
However, the league cannot rely solely on a few new builds. The authorities — specifically local authorities and the PSL leadership—must address the drainage liability to the beautiful game.
A pitch that cannot handle a weekend of rain is not a professional facility; it is a liability that hinders talent development and ruins the league's brand.
The glamour of the 2026 season will evaporate if the product on the pitch remains unwatchable.
Sponsors invest in the beautiful game, not a waterlogged one. If our football is to grow to international standards, we must stop treating pitch maintenance as an afterthought.
It is time for PSL to enforce strict stadium certification: if it doesn't drain, it shouldn't host.
But then again, in this country, football may not be played at all.
