Scottland FC cemented their place in Zimbabwean football history yesterday, lifting the Premier Soccer League (PSL) trophy at Ascot Stadium following a celebratory 2-1 victory away to TelOne FC.
The result was purely academic for the newly-minted champions, who had already secured the league title—their first-ever in the top flight—with two games remaining.
However, the victory was the perfect precursor to a festive coronation, concluding their stellar maiden season with an impressive 69 points from their 34 matches.
Scottland raced into an early lead, displaying the attacking flair that characterised their season.
Prolific striker Tymon Machope netted his 16th goal of the campaign, and teenage sensation Tadiwanashe Chakuchichi added a second to send the visitors into the break with a healthy 2-0 advantage.
TelOne, however, showed resilience in the second half, with Tawanda Macheke pulling a goal back for the hosts with a brilliant, long-range strike. Despite the spirited effort, Scottland held firm to claim all three points.
The championship victory marked a remarkable double triumph for Scottland, following their success in the Northern Region Soccer League last year.
Their promotion-winning campaign and subsequent immediate PSL success is an incredibly rare feat, having only been achieved once before in Zimbabwean football history by the legendary Black Rhinos in 1984.
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The title also signified a second consecutive league championship for head coach Tonderai Ndiraya, who claimed the Northern Region title last year with Simba Bhora.
The champions finished two points clear of runners-up MWOS FC, who concluded their season with a 3-2 win over Ngezi Platinum Stars at Ngoni Stadium.
The title success means Scottland FC will now represent Zimbabwe in the prestigious CAF Champions League next year.
Speaking after the trophy presentation, club chairman Tonderai Sakupwanya reflected on the monumental achievement.
"This is a great moment for us as Scottland,” Sakupwanya told journalists.
“But for every success story, there has to be a vision behind it.
“And when we started this project, our club president Pedzai Scott Sakupwanya said he wanted to get into the premiership and win the title at the first time of asking.
"So we sat down and came up with what we thought was a winning combination, recruited players, and also brought in a top-level coaching team and this is the result, we have won the championship."
He added that the club's immediate focus will shift to continental glory.
"The next step for us is the Caf Champions League where the best teams play,” Sakupwanya said.
“That's where our focus is. Of course we will still be seeking another league title, but Caf is the big mission now."
The championship coronation was a grand affair, graced by first lady Auxillia Mnangagwa as the guest of honour. Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution mnister Owen Ncube had the honour of handing over the trophy.
Scottland FC were also the inaugural winners of the new Premier Soccer League trophy, which was unveiled just before the match commenced.
In addition to the silverware, the club was presented with a substantial prize of a US $100 000 cheque for winning the championship.
