ZIFA Southern Region Division One League Holds 2024 Awards Ceremony
The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) Southern Region Division One League hosted its belated 2024 awards ceremony on Saturday at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, celebrating the outstanding achievements of the past season.
ZPC Hwange Dominate Awards
Champions ZPC Hwange took center stage at the ceremony, with their former goalkeeper, Harmony Nare, now at CAPS United, emerging as the biggest winner of the night. Nare was honored with both the prestigious Player of the Season award and the Golden Glove award after an exceptional campaign in which he kept an impressive 19 clean sheets.
Bulawayo City’s Mbongeni Minezhi, who recently signed for Premier Soccer League newcomers Scottland FC, was named first runner-up, while Wilfred Nzondo from Casmyn finished as the second runner-up in the Player of the Season category.
Best XI of the Season Recognized
The league’s Best XI for the 2024 season featured an array of talented players who demonstrated remarkable performances throughout the campaign. The squad included:
- Nhlanhla Fumpano (Nkayi Utd)
- Hopewell Moyo (Zimbabwe Saints)
- Thabo Sibanda (Mainline FC)
- Tatenda Ushe (Casmyn)
- Tinotenda Chitete (Nkayi Utd)
- Justin Kaunda (ZPC Hwange)
- Trevor Mugwagwa (Zebra Revolution)
- Israel Mkahanana (ZPC Hwange)
ZIFA President Encourages Action
Newly elected ZIFA president Nqobile Magwizi commended the Southern Region for organizing the awards ceremony. In a speech read on his behalf, Magwizi emphasized the need for decisive action to develop football in the region:
“Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed legends of our beautiful game, dedicated administrators, visionary former chairpersons, resilient players, unwavering referees, and all gathered here tonight under the banner of Southern Region football – good evening! Today, we assemble not merely to celebrate individual brilliance but to ignite a collective resolve. As we honour excellence from the 2024 season, let this ceremony mark the end of rhetoric and the beginning of action. The elections are over.”
Exciting 2025 Season on the Horizon
The 2025 Southern Region Division One League is set to commence in late March or early April, promising intense competition. Relegated sides Hwange, Bulawayo Chiefs, and Arenel Movers will be determined to battle for the league’s sole promotion spot in an attempt to make a swift return to the Premier Soccer League.
With top teams gearing up for the new season, fans can expect thrilling encounters and fierce rivalries as clubs vie for supremacy in one of Zimbabwe’s most competitive football leagues.
