Sports / Soccer
Premier Soccer League Charity Shield changes format
14 Jan 2013 at 05:22hrs | Views
THE traditional Premier Soccer League season opener, the Charity Shield, will this year take a different format after reports that the league management wants to have a four-team event.
This is unlike in previous years when it was the league winners versus major cup winners or runners-up.
Castle Lager Premier League champions Dynamos are the defending champions after defeating 2010 league champions Motor Action 2-1 in a match that was almost called off due to territorial wars between cup sponsors, NetOne and DeMbare's principal sponsors, BancABC.
Sources in the league told this publication that the PSL has already engaged NetOne, who poured in $200 000, to try and convince them to bankroll a four-team tournament.
"We want to have the top four teams participating in this year's tournament.
"Talks with the sponsors, NetOne are already underway and if successful, we will have Dynamos playing Monomotapa while the first derby of the season in Bulawayo will see Highlanders taking on Chicken Inn, who finished third last season," said a source in the Premiership.
If the two giants, Highlanders and Dynamos progress to the final, they could be meeting for the second time in a final inside a month after the BOB '89 final which is set for next month as part of the celebrations to mark the 89th birthday of President Mugabe.
The two giants have not met in a major cup final since the 2007 Nestle Charity Shield which was won by the Harare giants.
After that they met in the Independence Cup final in which Bosso won after penalty shootouts in 2011.
The engaging of one of the country's mobile phone operators is an indication that the fracas that engulfed the 2012 Charity Shield did not push the sponsors away as there were fears that NetOne might not bankroll the tournament this year in frustration after being embarrassed in corporate feud with BancABC.
The bank, who are the principal sponsors of Dynamos, Black Mambas and Highlanders, demanded that the Glamour boys wear jerseys with their logo in front while NetOne could have none of it as the tournament sponsors.
Dynamos were caught in the storm after BancABC threatened to withdraw their sponsorship if they went ahead and wore NetOne emblazoned jerseys, leading to DeMbare bowing down to their sponsors' will.
They however paid dearly as NetOne withheld the $50 000 prize money as punishment.
With Highlanders participating in this year's tournament, another legal and corporate feud is potentially on the cards.
This is unlike in previous years when it was the league winners versus major cup winners or runners-up.
Castle Lager Premier League champions Dynamos are the defending champions after defeating 2010 league champions Motor Action 2-1 in a match that was almost called off due to territorial wars between cup sponsors, NetOne and DeMbare's principal sponsors, BancABC.
Sources in the league told this publication that the PSL has already engaged NetOne, who poured in $200 000, to try and convince them to bankroll a four-team tournament.
"We want to have the top four teams participating in this year's tournament.
"Talks with the sponsors, NetOne are already underway and if successful, we will have Dynamos playing Monomotapa while the first derby of the season in Bulawayo will see Highlanders taking on Chicken Inn, who finished third last season," said a source in the Premiership.
If the two giants, Highlanders and Dynamos progress to the final, they could be meeting for the second time in a final inside a month after the BOB '89 final which is set for next month as part of the celebrations to mark the 89th birthday of President Mugabe.
The two giants have not met in a major cup final since the 2007 Nestle Charity Shield which was won by the Harare giants.
After that they met in the Independence Cup final in which Bosso won after penalty shootouts in 2011.
The engaging of one of the country's mobile phone operators is an indication that the fracas that engulfed the 2012 Charity Shield did not push the sponsors away as there were fears that NetOne might not bankroll the tournament this year in frustration after being embarrassed in corporate feud with BancABC.
The bank, who are the principal sponsors of Dynamos, Black Mambas and Highlanders, demanded that the Glamour boys wear jerseys with their logo in front while NetOne could have none of it as the tournament sponsors.
Dynamos were caught in the storm after BancABC threatened to withdraw their sponsorship if they went ahead and wore NetOne emblazoned jerseys, leading to DeMbare bowing down to their sponsors' will.
They however paid dearly as NetOne withheld the $50 000 prize money as punishment.
With Highlanders participating in this year's tournament, another legal and corporate feud is potentially on the cards.
Source - TC
