Fungai Muderere
IT’S for FC Platinum to lose and for CAPS United to grab!
For the umpteenth time the destiny of Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title will be decided on the last day of the season as second-placed CAPS United awaits to host defending champions FC Platinum at National Sports Stadium.
The Permutations
– Heading into the match with 59 points, one point ahead of CAPS United and three points ahead of third-placed Chicken Inn, Pure Platinum Play will take the league championship to force a draw against the Green Machine.
– If CAPS United beat FC Platinum they will become champions, something they have not done since 2016.
– Second spot is still available for Gamecock. For the 2015 champions, who boast of a healthy goal difference of 18, to finish as runners up they will need to beat Rahman Gumbo’s TelOne by any margin because a loss for Makepekepe will elevate Antipas’ men to second spot.
– FC Platinum can even finish third should they lose to CAPS because their goal difference would get dented in a season where Mushowani Stars and Hwange have already kissed goodbye to the PSL.
– The last round of matches also mean a lot for Bulawayo Chiefs, TelOne, Chapungu, Herentals, Yadah, Harare City who are all starring in the dreaded chop. Out of these six only two will join Mushowani and Chipangano in the country’s Division One dance.
Meanwhile, marriage between the Premier Soccer as well as their sponsors, Delta Beverages looks certain to be prolonged with details of the new sponsorship deal to emerge in the coming days.
Delta Beverages general manager lager beer business, Munyaradzi Nyandoro announced at the Soccer Stars Awards Ceremony last Friday that the new deal has been agreed upon with both parties to bring up to date the whole country with details of the latest arrangement to be known in the not so distant future.
“The new sponsorship deal between the PSL and Delta Beverages has largely been agreed upon, some fantastic news, both parties will inform the nation on the date of the signing of the new deal,’’ Nyandoro said.
PSL and Delta Beverages have been in talks over the sponsorship renewal since the current contract expires at the end of this year.
Delta Beverages, using the Castle Lager brand have been the sponsors of the country’s elite domestic football league continuously since 2011 having also bankrolled the PSL in the 1990s up to 2004.
Clubs will be hoping for an improved deal seeing how the costs of preparing and fulfilling matches have soared due to the harsh economic environment prevailing in the country. PSL chairman Farai Jere in his address beseeched owners of stadiums to make sure that they give importance to upgrading of playing facilities.
“We are making a humble plea to the relevant authorities to make sure that the issue of the stadiums is given the priority it deserves,” Jere said.
Jere’s appeal comes after the Confederation of African Football condemned the National Sports Stadium and Mandava Stadium for failure to meet the least prerequisites to host international matches. Caf also confirmed that only Barbourfields Stadium is conditionally approved to host matches under the auspices of the continental body.
