Highlanders and Dynamos strongly warned against BancABC

The Premier Soccer League issued a stern warning to Highlanders Football Club of Bulawayo and bitter rivals of Harare, Dynamos Football Club over receiving money or incentives dangled by the club official sponsors, BancABC who promised a winner take-all of $15000, $5000 for the first goal in 5 minutes and a man-of -the-match $1500. CEO, Kenny Ndebele advised the two clubs of the conflict of interest with league sponsors in a detailed statement below. 

We appreciate that Club Sponsors are the lifeblood of our Clubs. It is important that Sponsorship rights are allocated and shared for the benefits of all Stakeholders. Football Clubs must respect contracts entered into by the League Sponsors.

Our Sponsorship Agreement with Delta Beverages expressly states that Article 11: Competition 11.2 Premier Soccer League shall ensure that the only major league football competition running in Zimbabwe during the football season shall at all times be the Competition and it shall not introduce any competitions or football matches which might reasonably be considered to undermine the status of the Competition without prior written consent of Delta Beverages with the exception of approved knock out tournaments…

11.5 Premier Soccer League shall endeavour to ensure that matches in the Competition: 11.5.2 are recognised as Premier Soccer League matches and shall use its best endeavours to ensure that wherever possible, it does not schedule matches of a knock out or of similar nature at the same time as the Competition matches.

It is important to note that the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match between Dynamos Football Club and Highlanders Football Club shall proceed under the following conditions:

# The two teams shall play for points – three points for the winners, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss.

# The Castle Lager Logo shall appear on all the sleeves of players shirts.

# Club Sponsors’ logo may appear on the players and officials tracksuits, warm-up shirts and bibs.

# No prize money shall be paid to clubs, players and officials, before, during or after the match.

# No club sponsors’ T-shirts, flags, scarves, bibs or other paraphernalia is to be distributed inside and outside the stadium, before, during and after the match.

If the clubs fail to comply with the instruction, the League will have no alternative but to cancel the match. Further, the League will withhold the full Castle Lager Premier Soccer League prize money of the defaulting Club(s). Such prize money shall be forfeited to the League.

The Castle Lager Premier Soccer League would like to advise all its members to ensure that they fully comply with the League’s Sponsorship Agreements, the PSL Constitution, Rules and Regulations and other relevant statutes in order to avoid conflicts.

We trust that the Clubs will guide and advise their commercial partners accordingly. We categorically state that the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League enjoys good and cordial relations with all its stakeholders hence our mission to develop elite football and promote the PSL brand for the benefits of its members and stakeholders through competitions, programmes and activities.”

Whichever way, the two teams have better fish to fry. There is 3 points separating the potential champions, Bosso needing the victory to stay in contention while Dembare will be looking to securing the deal. Stakes aside, it still remains the biggest fixture north of Limpopo and both are on a mission to dislodge the other's claim as the domestic power-houses of Zimbabwean football.