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Willard Manyengavana

Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
Northern Region Division One Soccer League chairman Willard Manyengavana has said they are expecting all clubs to have paid their affiliation fees by this Friday after extending the deadline.

Initially clubs were supposed to have completed their payments on February 26.

But of the 18 clubs in the league, 10 have paid in full while four others are still to make their payments.

The rest have made part payments.

Old clubs are supposed to pay $2 500 and new teams have to part ways with $3 300.

Although Manyengavana could not reveal names of the clubs, he said yesterday that they are still waiting for some clubs to fulfil their obligation in terms of affiliation fees payments.

“We have a few that haven’t paid. I think only 10 teams have paid in full and those who have not yet paid I think they are probably four.

“The rest have made part payments, so we are still to confirm with those who have not made any single payment so that we know whether they are able to compete or not,” Manyengavana said.

Manyengavana, however, said they are not worried with the current situation as they have experienced the same challenges in the previous seasons, adding that clubs will finally pay.

The Northern Region chairman said they are confident the teams have the capacity to compete in the league.

The season is expected to kick off during the first week of April.

“It’s basically the same, while we may be operating in a depressed economic situation, there hasn’t been much difference.

“We have always had such situations where clubs delay in paying but they will eventually pay. We are not worried at the moment. I know by the end of the week they would have paid. We have just given them the grace period of up to this Friday.

“In our league we don’t just accept teams just like that. We vet the teams in terms of their capacity to pay the referees and travelling because that’s very crucial. We don’t want matches to be abandoned because a club has failed to travel.

“So that is the reason why we vet our teams and if they are capable, we accept them,” said Manyengavana.