BULAWAYO – The ZIFA Southern Region Division One League roared into action over the weekend, with Bulawayo City and Casmyn recording big wins in the opening round.
Bulawayo City cruised to a 3-0 win over Jordan, while Casmyn thumped Mainline 5-1 to sit at the top of the table thanks to superior goal difference.
Elsewhere, Megawatt edged Black Rock 1-0, and Prophet Blessing Chiza’s Eagles FC secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Nust FC.
Zebra Revolution, owned by former Highlanders striker Mkhokheli Dube, claimed a 2-1 win against army side Imbizo FC.
Meanwhile, Nkayi United and Bulawayo Warriors played out a 1-1 draw.
Highlanders’ reserve side, Bosso 90, were also held to a 1-1 draw by Arenel Movers, who were relegated from the top flight last season.
Fellow relegated side Hwange drew 1-1 with newcomers Victoria Falls Herentals.
As it stands, Casmyn lead the standings due to their superior goal difference.
This season’s Southern Region Division One League promises to be highly competitive, with former Premier Soccer League (PSL) sides such as Bulawayo Chiefs and Hwange eager to bounce back to the top flight.
Commenting after the kickoff of the campaign, the league’s spokesperson, Blessing Mbwanda, said:
“The games started as planned. We are excited about the level of competition we expect to witness this season, it will even excite our partners.
“We have a strong lineup of competitive games coming up. This season appears to be highly competitive.
“It seems the clubs were well prepared, and we are looking forward to an exciting league ahead.”
Last season, the league was won by ZPC Hwange, who later sold their franchise to MWOS.
This move was necessitated by CAF Club Licensing rules, which prohibit two clubs owned by the same company from participating in the same competition due to a conflict of interest.
ZPC Hwange were owned by the Zimbabwe Electricity Distribution Company (ZETDC) who already own ZPC Kariba who were already playing the PSL.
