End of an era? Manica Diamonds set to sell PSL franchise to AMV
Mutare is waking up to seismic news this morning.
Multiple reports filtering in suggest Manica Diamonds Football Club have agreed to sell their Premier Soccer League franchise to ambitious Pacific Storm Eastern Region Soccer League side Africa Mineral Ventures Football Club.
A high-placed source within AMV confirmed the development to Fanzone but cautioned that the deal is “far from over” with several “nitty gritties” still to be ironed out before anything is official.
If it goes through, it marks a stunning fall for a club that once sat at the top table of Zimbabwean football.
Manica Diamonds’ financial troubles are no secret.
Just days ago, reports emerged that players had gone over four months without salaries.
The results have mirrored the crisis.
After six rounds, the Gem Boys are rock bottom of the PSL with a single point.
A source close to the club said Manica have been “running on fumes” since former sponsors Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company, ZCDC, pulled out a few seasons ago.
What was once one of the “big three” paymasters in the country has been reduced to a shell of its former self.
This season pushed them over the edge. With Mutare City Council closing Sakubva Stadium for renovations, Manica were forced into a nomadic existence.
They adopted Gibbo Stadium in Triangle – 340km from Mutare – as their home ground.
That meant a 680km round trip every “home” game, then another away trip the following week.
For a cash-strapped club, the logistics and costs were unsustainable.
The same source credited Chairman Masimba Chihowa for “keeping the sheep afloat” through years of turbulence, but admitted the time had come to sell.
The hope now is that AMV, another Manicaland-based outfit with fresh capital, can keep top-flight football in the province.
AMV have been one of the most ambitious projects in the Pacific Storm Eastern Region Soccer League. Buying a PSL slot would fast-track their rise and, crucially, keep the Premier League flag flying in Manicaland.
When Manica Diamonds burst onto the scene, they attracted the biggest names in the country. Their salaries matched anyone’s. But as Zimbabwe’s economy shifted and ZCDC quietly walked away, the decline was steady.
From title hopefuls to relegation fodder, to now potentially selling the franchise – it’s been a brutal downward spiral.
Nothing is signed yet. Sources on both sides stress that talks are ongoing and the finer details around debt, player contracts, and ZIFA/PSL approval still need to be cleared. But the intent is clear.
If AMV pull this off, Manicaland keeps its PSL status. If it collapses, Manica’s future looks bleaker than ever.
For now, the Gem Boys’ glitter has gone. The question is whether AMV can polish it back.
Fanzone will keep you updated as this story develops.
