Bikita Minerals, Tenax PSL Promotion Dispute Far From Resolved
The start of the 2024 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season may be delayed as football authorities are still to decide which team will be promoted from the Eastern Region Division One League to the top flight between Bikita Minerals and Tenax.
This comes after the ZIFA Appeals Committee adjourned Tuesday’s hearing on the matter to 16 February, a day before Dynamos and Ngezi Platinum Stars clash in the Castle Challenge Cup, marking the commencement of the 2024 season.
The Premier Soccer League was set to kick-off on 24 February a week later, to avoid fixtures congestion.
As reported by The Manica Post, a three-member tribunal — with Vote Muza as chairman — sitting in the name of the ZIFA Appeals Committee, invited Tenax FC, Bikita Minerals and Eastern Region Soccer League’s administration for Tuesday’s hearing.
The hearing was initially set for last week on Tuesday but was postponed to Tuesday this week by the ZIFA Appeals Committee.
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This was done to allow all parties involved to be conversant with Tenax FC’s heads of arguments and also respond in writing before a proper hearing could be conducted.
This led to the postponement of the matter to 16 February, with Dynamos and Ngezi scheduled to clash on the 17th.
ZIFA chief executive officer, Yvonne Mapika Manwa, wrote to the ERSL to attend the Appeals Committee hearing this week, which will now be done in two weeks.
How did it come to this?
Tenax had seemingly won the championship on the final day of the 2023 season after finishing top of the log standings, with Bikita Minerals in second.
However, Eastern Region Division One League, acting on their understanding of their rules and regulations, had concluded that Bikita had won the 2023 championship race thereby gaining promotion to the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.
This was after Bikita Minerals won its appeal over their final league match against Grayham, from which they were awarded three points.
The club had argued that Grayham used an ineligible player in a match that ended in a draw.
The awarding of the points placed Bikita Minerals on top of the log standings, and Tenax in second position.
Tenax had finished a point above Bikita Minerals after winning their game 6-1 at home while the lithium miners had been held to a 1-1 draw at Grayham.
ZIFA had initially unilaterally endorsed the Eastern Region board’s decision to promote Bikita Minerals but later backtracked on its earlier decision after Tenax lodged a late appeal.
More: Pindula News
