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Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
IN the month that the Premier Soccer League is celebrating 25 years of existence, Dynamos board chairman Bernard Marriot has paid glowing tribute to the top-flight body’s founding fathers who included Morrison Sifelani and secretary-general Chris Sibanda for changing the face of the Zimbabwean game. The late Sifelani, Darryn T director Wieslaw Grabowski, Victor Zvobgo, Roger Mulhwa and Sibanda were among the pioneer leaders who came together to spearhead the formation of the National Premier Soccer League in 1992.

On Friday night, a host of football stakeholders including current top clubs, past administrators, ZIFA and Government officials gathered in Harare at a PSL dinner to celebrate the league’s Silver Jubilee. Although Marriot, who was the Dynamos secretary at the time of the formation of the Premiership, was unable to attend the league’s dinner on Friday night, he recalled the journey the domestic game has travelled and yesterday saluted the top-flight’s founding fathers for turning on a new chapter in Zimbabwean football. Marriot also challenged the current Premiership clubs to embrace FIFA’s Club licensing programme and also ensure they shun violence, respect football statutes and practice Fair Play.

“As Dynamos, arguably the biggest club in the country, we are proud that the formation of the elite league in Zimbabwe had one of its building blocks donated by the Glamour Boys. The history of football in Zimbabwe is a long one, but it is important that we focus on the journey we started in 1992. When we cast away the Super League tag, we assumed the modern day set up which had 16 clubs running their affairs as an autonomous league which, however, was a member of ZIFA. The late Morrison Sifelani, a visionary leader par excellence was among the cast which mooted the idea of the Premier Soccer League. May his soul rest in peace. He eventually became the founding chairman of the National Premier Soccer League and what followed was pomp and funfair as blue chip companies scrambled to be associated with the new establishment,” Marriot said. The Dynamos founder member said the top-flight body was “grounded on high professionalism, integrity, Fair Play and above all accountability.

“The Premier Soccer League blossomed into one of the best run leagues in Africa. I must hasten to point out that the Premier Soccer League has distinguished itself as a league run by the book of professionalism.” Marriot also reserved a special tribute for Sibanda, a no-nonsense figure who is now staying in the United Kingdom.

“The secretary-general of the league at its birth Mr Chris Sibanda took no prisoners when it came to upholding the founding principles of the league and the legacy that the founding fathers of the league bequeathed to us should be cherished for posterity. Let us observe Fair Play, condemn all forms of violence and turn our clubs into custodians of football statutes. The fans and corporate partners will always fall over each other to support clubs that are properly run. Nothing will drive away the aforementioned groups of supporters like a league which is home to confusion, fights and corruption. Let our league be the league choice,” Marriot said. The Dynamos boss also noted that the inception of the Premiership had coincided with the unearthing of another fine generation of footballers to grace the domestic scene.

“Allow me to blow the trumpet of the league by declaring that the inception of the Premier Soccer League saw the emergence of one of the best national teams Zimbabwe ever produced since in the form of the Dream Team. The Dream Team was founded on the firm building rocks of the National Premier Soccer League which had a vibrant youth policy, reserve teams and first teams which churned out quality players who fed into the Under-20, Under-23 and the Dream Team. We can rekindle that golden era as long as we embrace the club licensing scheme which calls for us to be professional al round.” Marriot also paid tribute to the corporate partners who have helped shape the domestic game in the last quarter of a century.

“Let me salute the sponsors who were with us since 1992. Some came and left because of trying times, but those who remained with us to this day are the league’s heroes. We are proud of you and we shall always protect your brand.” Marriot also challenged the current administrators to put the interests of the game ahead of personalities and individual interests.

“Let me implore all of us to work with one vision of making Zimbabwean football part of the world’s most beautiful game. The game is bigger than us. The league is bigger than us and let football be the ultimate winner. Let us dedicate all efforts, going forward to celebrate the efforts of our late colleagues who were part of the PSL by making the league one of the best leagues in Africa,” Marriot said. Marriot’s DeMbare have the highest number of championships in the 25-year history of the elite league with eight championships which were won by three of their former players — Sunday Chidzambwa, three, David Mandigora (once) and Callisto Pasuwa with four on the trot.