By Sports Reporter
Harare — A fresh dispute has erupted between the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) after the national association rejected a PSL decision to suspend relegation for the 2025 season as part of a broader restructuring plan.
The PSL on Tuesday announced that its clubs had resolved at an Extraordinary General Meeting on November 18 to halt relegation next season and promote four regional first-division winners.
The proposal was presented as part of a transition toward expanding the league from 18 to 20 teams by 2027.
Under the PSL’s plan, the league would temporarily grow to 22 teams in 2026, with six clubs set to be relegated that year.
Following the promotion of four teams from the lower division, the top-flight would then stabilise at 20 teams in 2027 — a shift the PSL argued aligns with international standards.
The PSL further stated that it envisaged a phased introduction of a new National First Division League within three years.
However, ZIFA swiftly rejected the proposal.
In a statement, the association said the resolution “cannot be implemented,” insisting that relegation is essential to maintaining the integrity of the competition.
“Promotion and relegation are fundamental components of football competition,” ZIFA said, maintaining that four teams will be relegated at the end of the 2025 Castle Premier Soccer League season, which concludes on November 23.
ZIFA also reminded the PSL that any changes to league size or competition rules must be formally submitted to the association and can only be approved by the ZIFA Congress in accordance with the organisation’s statutes.
In an unexpected twist, the PSL said the proposed expansion had been based on ZIFA’s own recommendation.
The impasse now casts uncertainty over the direction of the league’s restructuring, with both organisations standing firm and the 2025 season nearing its close.
