List of Zimbabwean football champions explained

The association football champions of Zimbabwe are the winners of the highest league in Zimbabwean football, which is the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League (ZPSL). The ZPSL was founded in 1980, after Zimbabwe's internationally recognised independence, as a successor to the Rhodesia National Football League, which started in 1962. Originally governed by the Zimbabwe Football Association – the renamed Rhodesia Football Association, created in 1965 – the ZPSL has run itself since 1993.

The first edition of the Rhodesia National Football League took place in 1962, when Bulawayo Rovers won both the inaugural league championship and Cup of Rhodesia to claim the Double in the first season of nationally organised competition in Rhodesia. Since then, the championship has been largely dominated by teams from the country's capital, Harare (Salisbury until 1982), and second-largest city, Bulawayo: all but three of the 50 championships contested in the country have been won by a team based in one of these two cities.

The record 22 titles won by Dynamos is more than twice as many as the number won by the second-most decorated, Bulawayo's Highlanders, who have won seven. Dynamos and Highlanders share the record for most consecutive championships won, each having won four titles in succession. Harare-based Dynamos are the most successful team in cup competition, with ten cup-final victories to their name, one more than CAPS United. Unlike the league, the cup has been won numerous times by clubs from outside the traditional centres of Harare and Bulawayo; provincial sides such as Hwange, Mhangura and Masvingo United have claimed the cup on multiple occasions. The Double has been achieved 11 times in Zimbabwean football; since Bulawayo Rovers won both the league and cup in 1962, the Double has been repeated by Dynamos (seven times), Zimbabwe Saints, Black Rhinos, Highlanders and CAPS United.

Champions

Key
Club won the Double (both league and cup) during that season
(number of titles)A running tally of the total number of championships won by each club is kept in brackets.
(number of cups)A running tally of the total number of cups won by each club is kept in brackets.

Rhodesia National Football League (1962–79)

SeasonLeague champions
(number of titles)
League runners-upCup winners
(number of cups)
1962Bulawayo Rovers (1)Salisbury CityBulawayo Rovers (1)
1963Salisbury CalliesSalisbury Callies (1)
1964Bulawayo Rovers (2)
1965Salisbury City Wanderers (1)
1966St Paul'sBulawayo RoversMangula (1)
1967State House Tornados (1)Salisbury Callies (2)
1968Bulawayo Sables (1)Arcadia United (1)
1969Bulawayo Sables (2)Arcadia United (2)
1970Wankie (1)
1971Arcadia United (1)Chibuku Shumba (1)
1972Salisbury Sables (1)Mangula (2)
1973Metal Box (1)HighlandersWankie (2)
1974Salisbury Sables (2)Chibuku Shumba (2)
1975Chibuku Shumba (2)Salisbury Callies (3)
1976Dynamos (1)
1977Zimbabwe Saints (1)Zimbabwe Saints (1)
1978Risco Steel (1)
1979CAPS United (1)Zimbabwe SaintsZimbabwe Saints (2)

Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League (1980–present)

SeasonLeague champions
(number of titles)
League runners-upCup winners
(number of cups)
1980Black AcesCAPS United (1)
1981Rio TintoCAPS United (2)
1982CAPS United (3)
1983Dynamos (9)Rio TintoCAPS United (4)
1984Black Rhinos (1)Arcadia UnitedBlack Rhinos (1)
1985Dynamos (10)HighlandersDynamos (2)
1986Dynamos (11)CAPS UnitedDynamos (3)
1987Black Rhinos (2)DynamosZimbabwe Saints (3)
1988Zimbabwe Saints (2)DynamosDynamos (4)
1989Dynamos (12)Zimbabwe SaintsDynamos (5)
1990Highlanders (1)CAPS UnitedHighlanders (1)
1991Dynamos (13)Black RhinosWankie (3)
1992Black Aces (1)CAPS UnitedCAPS United (5)
1993Highlanders (2)CAPS UnitedTanganda (1)
1994Dynamos (14)HighlandersBlackpool (1)
1995Dynamos (15)BlackpoolChapungu United (1)
1996CAPS United (2)DynamosDynamos (6)
1997Dynamos (16)CAPS UnitedCAPS United (6)
1998–99Highlanders (3)DynamosCAPS United (7)
2000Highlanders (4)Amazulu
2001Highlanders (5)AmazuluHighlanders (2)
2002Highlanders (6)Black RhinosMasvingo United (1)
2003Amazulu (1)HighlandersDynamos (7)
2004CAPS United (3)HighlandersCAPS United (8)
2005CAPS United (4)Masvingo UnitedMasvingo United (2)
2006Highlanders (7)Motor ActionMwana Africa (1)
2007Dynamos (17)HighlandersDynamos (8)
2008Monomotapa United (1)DynamosCAPS United (9)
2009Gunners (1)Dynamos
2010Motor Action (1)Dynamos
2011Dynamos (18)FC PlatinumDynamos (9)
2012Dynamos (19)HighlandersDynamos (10)
2013Dynamos (20)HighlandersHighlanders (3)
2014Dynamos (21)ZPC KaribaFC Platinum (1)
2015Chicken Inn (1)DynamosHarare City (1)
2016CAPS United (5)FC PlatinumNgezi Platinum (1)
2017FC Platinum (1)DynamosHarare City (2)
2018FC Platinum (2)Ngezi PlatinumTriangle United (1)
2019FC Platinum (3)Chicken InnHighlanders (4)
2020align=center colspan="3"Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021–22FC Platinum (4)Chicken InnBulawayo Chiefs
2023Ngezi Platinum (1)Manica DiamondsDynamos (11)

Total titles won

ClubWinnersRunners-upWinning seasons
Dynamos[1] 1963, 1965, 1970, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Highlanders1990, 1993, 1998–99, 2000, 2001, 2002
CAPS United1979, 1996, 2004, 2005, 2016
F.C. Platinum2017, 2018, 2019, 2021–22
Black Rhinos1984, 1987
Bulawayo Rovers1962, 1964
Bulawayo Sables1968, 1969
Chibuku Shumba/State House Tornados
Salisbury Sables1972, 1974
Zimbabwe Saints1977, 1988
Arcadia United1971
Amazulu2003
Black Aces1992
Chicken Inn2015
Gunners2009
Metal Box1973
Monomotapa United2008
Motor Action2006
Nzegi Platinum2023
Manica Diamonds
Rio Tinto
ZPC Kariba

References and notes

Notes
  • A Dynamos Salisbury City and Salisbury United amalgamated to form Dynamos Fc
  • B (also sometimes referred to Salisbury Tornados) retitled themselves Chibuku Shumba between the 1967 and 1968 seasons.[2]
  • C Black Aces were founded in 1976 as a new incarnation of Chibuku Shumba when that club folded in 1975.[3]
  • D Chapungu United won the 1995 Cup of Zimbabwe by walkover after the semi-final match between Highlanders and CAPS United was declared void due to the fielding by Highlanders of an ineligible player. Left with no opposing team in the final round, Chapungu took the cup by default.
  • E Motor Action were formed in 2000, taking the place of Blackpool in the Premier Soccer League by buying that team's franchise.[4]
  • F The Mbada Diamonds Cup was launched in 2011, with the 16 teams from the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League participating. The winner will qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup.[5]
    References
    General references

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Zimbabwe (And Rhodesia) Champions.
    2. Web site: Rhodesia (Cup) 1968. Ian. King. 15 June 2005. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 2010-02-03 .
    3. Web site: Zimbabwe 1980. 23 April 2006. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 2010-02-03 .
    4. Web site: Zimbabwe 1999/2000. Hans. Schöggl. Ian. King. 4 March 2006. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 2010-02-03 .
    5. Web site: Mbada Diamond Cup launched . . 17 September 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120415063519/http://www.zbc.co.zw/news-categories/sport/12037-mbada-diamond-cup-launched.html . 15 April 2012.