Bikita Minerals Promoted To The Premier Soccer League

By Innocent Muchochomi

Bikita Minerals Football Club has been promoted into the Castle Lager Premiership after they were awarded three points from their final match of the ZIFA Eastern Region Division One season against Grayham.

Eastern Region Soccer League vice chairman Simba Wisdom confirmed the latest development. He said, as quoted by The Manica Post:

“We deliberated on the matter between Bikita Minerals and Grayham on Saturday here in Mutare.

“As the outcome of the deliberations, we discovered that, indeed, Grayham used an ineligible player.”

The player in question is Calvin Tinashe Chiwere who was using Munyaradzi Machipisa’s license.

He is a 32-year-old player who was using a 22-year-old player’s license. There was overwhelming evidence.

Therefore, according to Rule 13.1 Paragraph B, if a player uses an ineligible player’s licence and the issue is raised during inspection the team using the ineligible player gets three points docked from them, a fine is imposed while the opponents get maximum points. This is the reason we gave Bikita Minerals three points._

Technically, Bikita Minerals now have 60 points and Tenax have 59. Bikita Minerals are the 2023 ZIFA Eastern Region Division One champions.

“We have also suspended Chiwere for six months. In the same hearing, Bikita Minerals was fined US$2 000 for assaulting referees.

“Like I said earlier on, Grayham have three points docked. The match is given to Bikita Minerals on a three-nil scoreline. Grayham was also given a US$1 000 fine.”

Bikita Minerals now join Arenel, Chegutu Pirates, and TelOne from the country’s second-tier leagues to complete the list of promoted teams for the 2024 Castle Lager Premiership season.

Black Rhinos, Sheasham, Triangle United and Cranborne Bullets are the four clubs that were relegated from the Premier Soccer League.