Zimbabwe’s football leadership has moved swiftly to overturn the Premier Soccer League’s proposed suspension of relegation, with ZIFA issuing a firm directive that four teams will be relegated at the end of the 2025 season directly contradicting the PSL’s announcement earlier today.
In a strongly worded statement released on Thursday, ZIFA said it had taken note of the PSL’s Extraordinary General Meeting resolution, which sought to halt relegation for 2025 and temporarily expand the top flight to 22 teams for the 2026 campaign.
But the association made it clear that the league does not have the authority to implement such a change without formal approval.
“The Association wishes to make it unequivocally clear that this proposal cannot be implemented,” ZIFA said.
“Promotion and relegation are fundamental components of football competition and are essential to maintaining the integrity, fairness and sporting merit of the league system.”
The intervention throws the league into a period of uncertainty just days before the 2025 season officially concludes on 23 November.
While the PSL had framed its no-relegation stance as part of a broader restructuring effort including an expanded league in 2026 and the phased introduction of the National First Division ZIFA says the plan bypassed established governance procedures.
According to the association, any proposal to adjust the number of participating clubs must be formally submitted and then debated at the next ZIFA Congress, the only body empowered to change league structures.
For now, ZIFA has reaffirmed that the traditional four-team relegation model remains in place, meaning clubs currently fighting for survival must prepare for a decisive final weekend.
The PSL has not yet responded publicly to ZIFA’s intervention. What is clear, however, is that the relegation battle once thought to be suspended is very much alive again.
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