THE Premier Soccer League (PSL) is waiting on Zifa to confirm the 18th team to participate in the 2025 season after ZPC Hwange, winners of the Zifa Southern Region Division One league, failed the club licensing test.
ZPC Hwange then went into a partnership with MWOS FC, last year’s runners-up in the Zifa Northern Region Division One league and are meant to play in the top league in place of the power utility side.
Speaking on the sidelines of a PSL clubs workshop held in Bulawayo, league acting chief executive officer Rodwell Tabe said he is in conversation with Zifa and very soon, they will get the name of the team that will complete the top league.
“We are in communication with the general secretary [Yvonne Mapika-Manwa] from Zifa and it is my hope that we should be able to get the name, the confirmed name of the 18th team by end of day from today (yesterday),” Tabe said.
“It’s unfortunate that they were not here for the workshop, but what we have said is, as soon as they are confirmed, we will go to visit them, do a separate workshop for them, but in terms of having them on board, I am sure any time soon.
“We are waiting for a response from Zifa. They have their processes that they need to undertake. We cannot rush the process.
“Due process has to be taken and I am confident that very soon, we will have that member on board, in time for the start of the season.”
On January 23, the Zifa Southern Region wrote to Mapika-Mwana saying: “This serves to inform you that ZPC Hwange FC, in their efforts to meet the requirements (Article 55 of the 2022 Caf Club Licensing Regulations), successfully went into a partnership with MWOS FC (see attached MoU). ZPC Hwange FC has changed name to MWOS FC. In view of the above, this confirms MWOS FC eligibility for promotion to the Premier Soccer League for the 2025 soccer season.”
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Tabe said the PSL is aware of the ZPC Hwange/MWOS deal through third parties, but nothing official has come through to his office, yet.
“The club licensing regulations are very clear in terms of the legal aspect and the ownership control of clubs, which is why we had the challenge with the club that qualified from Division One, which is ZPC Hwange, but there has been some partnership, which as PSL, we have not been made privy to,” he said.
“I am not privy to the agreements that were made between ZPC Hwange and supposedly MWOS FC. These are things that we are seeing on social media.
“Hopefully, I get some form of documentation. It may then enable me to give an informed comment to say the status of this merger or be it a merger or combination, where do we accord it in terms of club licensing; is it legal, has it been done in fulfilment of the criteria.”
Tabe, however, said he was aware that Hwange was said to have failed the club licensing test, but they awaited official communication.
“At this moment, for me to comment without any official communication will be very difficult because these are things that I am hearing, but have no official documentation on what is happening, in terms of this merger,” he said.
“All I know and can confidently comment on is from the club licensing manager, that ZPC Hwange has not been able to fulfil the club licensing requirements in terms of the legal and ownership structure.
“So in terms of how they then intend to move forward, I understand the association had given them up to January 31 to respond.
“I am getting all this information from third parties and unless I have it from the source itself, I am unable to comment.”
