THE Premier Soccer League (PSL) says they will not release the 2024 league fixtures until the Eastern Region Division One Soccer League (ERSL) promotion saga has been resolved, leaving teams with less than a week to plan their schedules for the start of the upcoming season.
The new season is scheduled to kick-off in exactly two weeks tomorrow, but teams are yet to be furnished with the fixture schedules for matchday one.
Clubs have previously complained to the PSL for the late release of fixtures, which they say makes planning difficult.
It appears the clubs will have to endure the usual nightmare in planning for the opening matches after PSL yesterday revealed that they will only release the fixtures when the legal battle for promotion in the ERSL between Bikita Minerals and Tenax has been concluded.
The case, which is before the Zifa Appeals Committee, will resume with a full hearing on February 16, just seven days before the season kicks off.
The judgment is set to be released a few days before the season starts.
“We are just waiting for the verdict of the Eastern Region saga, then we release the fixtures,” PSL spokesperson Kudzai Bare told NewsDay Sport yesterday.
Asked if that would not cause chaos to the start of the league, Bare responded: “We will see how best we would manage it. Also, the other issue is that we are waiting for the stadiums to be inspected. My understanding is that the First Instance Board (FIB) has been appointed to do the inspections. So, the stadiums need to be inspected first before anything else happens.”
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Bikita Minerals were confirmed last season’s ERSL champions via a boardroom decision after the club won a case in their final league game against Grayham, from which they were awarded three points Grayham had used an ineligible player.
With the three points, the Bikita-based side was confirmed ERSL champions as they moved ahead of Tenax, who had finished top of the log standings.
Tenax did not appeal the ERSL decision with the league, but instead took the matter directly to Zifa, who referred it to its Appeals Committee, thereby automatically putting on hold Bikita Minerals’ Premier League promotion.
Meanwhile, the Zifa Normalisation Committee has appointed former Warriors welfare manager and Caf general co-ordinator Sharrif Mussa as the new FIB chairperson, replacing Xolisani Gwesela. He leads a three-member committee, which also has Violet Jubane and Gaylord Madhuguza.
The FIB is responsible for inspecting stadiums to ensure they meet bare minimum requirements to host topflight matches. The committee also ensures that clubs adhere to Caf and Fifa club licensing requirements.
