Noah Chivuta, a former midfielder for the Zambia national team, has praised the Zambian Premier League for announcing the 2025–2026 season fixtures ahead of schedule.
The ZPL has made public the MTN Super League and the Eden University Women’s Super League fixtures for next season.
In an interview, Chivuta described the move as a crucial step in helping clubs to plan and prepare for the upcoming season.
Chivuta added that this gives clubs a significant advantage in organizing their pre-season activities, recruitment strategies, and overall team preparations.
“Releasing the fixture early is very, very important to the clubs,” Chivuta said.
“It helps with planning, player recruitment, and many other factors. When teams know that their first game is on, say, August 20th, they can work backwards from that date to design a proper pre-season schedule—whether it’s six or eight weeks depending on their goals.”
Chivuta, a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations-winning squad, member, explained that pre-season training cycles depend on knowing the competitive calendar.
“Having the fixture now allow coaches to plan each day, each week, leading up to the opening game. It brings structure and purpose to the pre-season.”
He said it is beneficial for coaching staff, to map out technical and tactical sessions.
“Planning becomes far more difficult without fixtures. It’s really motivating for the players as well as the coaches, who can mentally be ready for what lies ahead,” Chivuta said.
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