We Are Coming to Norton: Checheche
The Checheche U17 Women’s Soccer League, an area zone level competition in Manicaland province, has become the first to confirm its attendance at the forthcoming 2026 Golden Footprints Soccer Awards!
Formally communicating the news to The Norton Times, a league official, Sailas Chawira, said all the nominees from the league have confirmed plans to travel to Norton for the ceremony, set for Friday 18 December 2026.
The league is one of seven The Norton Times tracked for this year’s edition of the Golden Footprints, the others being the Premier Soccer League (PSL), the Zimbabwe Women’s Premier Soccer League (ZWPSL), the Central Region Women’s Soccer League (CRWSL), the Mash West Women’s Soccer League (MWWSL), Bulawayo Province Women’s Football (BPWF), the Norton Area Zone Soccer League (NAZSL) and the LM Zaka Girls U21 Soccer Festival.
With nominations already out for each league’s Best Player category, Checheche has confirmed a provisional delegation of nominees: Fortunate Simango (Mountain Queens), Naume Mubango (Raising Stars Queens), Rachel Mucheki (Sunrise Checheche Academy) and Samantha Chakaamba (Blue Dragon Queens). One of the league’s coaches will also travel to receive the Best Coach award, while the top goalscorer and best goalkeeper as at 30 November 2026 will also be honoured.
The ceremony allows minors to be accompanied by an adult, meaning up to eleven people are likely to make the trip as invited guests. Others may choose to travel too as paying guests. The ticket price for this year’s ceremony is still to be set.
A surprise confirmation, according to Chawira, is Primrose Nzvengende, the young starlet who won the Young Player of the Tournament with Maningi Youth Soccer Academy (MYSA) at the inaugural LM Zaka Girls U21 Soccer Festival. It turns out she is a daughter of Checheche, hailing from Chawira Sports Academy - the same school which gave Zimbabwe women’s football Chapungu Queens star Edline Mutumbami. Apparently, the two academies enjoy a healthy relationship and have a vibrant player-exchange understanding.