ZIMBABWE football governing body, Zifa, has written to the Premier Soccer League (PSL) to confirm the promotion of Chiredzi Football Club from the Eastern Region.
BY BRIAN NKIWANE
Chiredzi FC was crowned Eastern Region Division One champions last year when they played under the name Hippo Valley FC.
The team was coached by Moses Chunga.
However, their hopes of playing premiership football were dented when their sponsors Tongaat Hulett dropped the bombshell that they were no longer in a position to carry on sponsoring the team in the topflight league, putting the prospects of them playing in PSL into disarray.
Tongaat Hulett are the sponsors of premiership side Triangle Football Club.
The matter was then resolved after Zifa Eastern Region, with the assistance of Chunga, persuaded the sugar manufacturing company to cede the team to the community rather than selling the franchise away from Chiredzi.
PSL chief executive officer Kenny Ndebele confirmed receiving communication from the mother body.
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“I can confirm that Zifa wrote to us this afternoon [Friday] confirming the promotion of Chiredzi FC which was known as Hippo Valley FC when they played in Division One last year,” Ndebele said. Ndebele added that all that was left was for PSL to move in and see if the club met requirements regarding club licensing.
“There are a number of things that we need to look at before we clear the team to play. We are going to assess their home-ground which must have a carrying capacity of at least 5 000 people. The team must also have full-time staff employed by the team which includes a media liaison officer. The team has to also register 25 senior players and five junior players born after January 1 1995,” Ndebele added.
A number of clubs that have been in the league for many years have been failing to meet club licensing requirements which Ndebele said are an absolute must this season.
