Harare City FC is on the brink of a big Premier Soccer League (PSL) return after reportedly agreeing to buy the FC Hunters franchise for about US$600,000, according to local reports, a deal that could see the Sunshine Boys back in top-flight football after nearly three seasons outside the elite league.
The purchase marks a dramatic pivot in Zimbabwe’s football landscape, where clubs often fight as hard off the pitch as they do on it. For City fans, long starved of PSL action, this move could be the fresh start they’ve been craving.
Sunshine Boys Eye PSL Return After 2022 Relegation
Harare City were relegated from the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League at the end of the 2021/22 season, ending a run in the top tier that began in 2011 and included some memorable campaigns, including a near-title finish in 2012 when they narrowly lost out on the championship on goal difference. The club produced and polished high profile players including Tinotenda Kadewere who grew to play for teams like Lyon, Mallorca and FC Nantes.
Since dropping down, the club has competed in lower divisions, struggling with the financial realities that often dog Zimbabwean football clubs outside the new entrants (FC Platinum, Scottland FC, Manica Diamonds, Bikita Minerals, and Ngezi Platinum Stars). Now, if the Hunters transaction is ratified by the Harare City Council, the Sunshine Boys will rejoin the PSL for the 2026 season, a return many believe is overdue.
Hunters FC: Short but Historic PSL Stint
The story of FC Hunters is one of meteoric rise and potential early exit. The Marondera-based club clinched the Eastern Region Division One title in 2025, earning historic promotion to the PSL, the first time a club from the town reached the top flight since independence.
Their stay in the elite could have been short-lived. Financial challenges are common at lower-tier clubs making the leap, and while Hunters FC denied salary issues publicly, analysts suggested the club lacked the budget to sustain a top-tier campaign, a key reason the franchise sale is under discussion.
Under the proposed arrangement, FC Hunters would move into Harare City’s current place in the lower leagues, while Harare City assumes the PSL slot, effectively skipping months of promotion battles and re-establishing the Sunshine Boys in Zimbabwe’s most watched football competition.
Financial Struggles: The Real Game Off the Pitch
Zimbabwean clubs operate in a tough economic environment where sponsorship money, broadcast deals, and matchday revenues are limited. Many teams struggle to pay players, maintain facilities, or attract top talent, a reality that even storied names like Dynamos and Highlanders know too well.
Harare City’s own history reflects this: the City of Harare Council once cut funding in 2023, citing operational irregularities and budget pressures, and councillors previously rejected a proposal to pump millions into the team, arguing scarce public resources should go to essential services instead.
This is not unique to the Sunshine Boys. Throughout Zimbabwe’s domestic game, clubs outside the traditional powerhouses frequently operate on shoestring budgets, relying on sponsors, donor support, and often municipal backing, which can fluctuate with political winds.
Why the Move Matters for Zimbabwe Football Fans
Harare City’s return could inject fresh life into a league that has seen attendance rebound and competitiveness rise in recent years. In the 2025 PSL season, rival sides like Scottland FC made history by winning the title in their debut season, proving that unpredictability and passion still define local football.
City’s home ground, Rufaro Stadium, remains one of the historic stages of Zimbabwean football, and fans are eager to see top-flight action back on those iconic pitch boards.
With the PSL expanding and clubs pushing for better professionalism, including early release of fixtures for the 2026 season to aid planning, Harare City’s re-entry at this moment could be both symbolic and strategically timed.
The big question now is whether Harare City, a side that did not even win the Division One league on the pitch, can truly compete at the highest level. Can the Sunshine Boys absorb the pressure of top-flight football, or are they staring at another relegation scrap?
Supporters of the move will point to recent precedents. Scottland FC lifted the league title in their maiden PSL season, while MWOS, who were runners-up in the Northern Region Division One in 2024, went on to finish second in the Premier League. Fair examples — but there is a catch. Those clubs backed ambition with serious investment, embarking on aggressive pre-season and mid-season recruitment drives to strengthen their squads.
The question, then, is whether Harare City have the financial muscle to follow the same path, or whether the burden will once again fall on ratepayers’ money meant for water and sewer reticulation. For now, optimism and scepticism walk side by side. Time, as always, will tell.
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