By McGeorge Mbare
PAMUSHANA High School from Masvingo Province were crowned the 2026 National Association of Secondary School Heads (NASH) Under-17 football champions after defeating St Mathias Tsonzo High School 4-2 on penalties in Bulawayo on Friday,July31,2026 .
The closely contested match ended goalless after regulation time, forcing the championship to be decided by a penalty shootout.
Pamushana held their nerve from the spot, converting four penalties to secure the national title.
Pamushana enjoyed an impressive run throughout the tournament and remained unbeaten in the entire tournament.
One of the team’s standout performers was Zimbabwe Under-17 national team goalkeeper ,Siyanda Zimba who did not concede a single goal throughout the tournament.
His commanding presence between the posts played a key role in Pamushana’s successful campaign.
They opened their Group C campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over defending champions Zezani High School ,before registering another 1-0 win against Mashonaland West representatives Rudziwi High School to book a place in the knockout stages.
In the quarter-finals, Pamushana defeated John Landa High School 3-0 on penalties after a goalless draw.
They then edged tournament hosts Mzilikadzi High School 1-0 in the semi-finals to set up a final against St Mathias Tsonzo High School.
The victory agaisnt St Mathias completed a remarkable tournament for the Masvingo side, who conceded no goals in open play throughout the competition.
Meanwhile, it was a disappointing campaign for defending champions Zezani High School, whose title defence ended in the group stages.
Zezani were eliminated on the fair play rule after accumulating more yellow cards than the other tied team.
The early exit was a sharp contrast to their impressive 2025 campaign, during which they lost only one match from the district qualifiers through to the national finals before lifting the championship trophy.
Despite the disappointment, Zezani High School coach Mageleza acknowledged Pamushana’s quality and described them as the strongest opponents his team faced.
“That was our most difficult match but we played our best football against Pamushana. They are a very strong team. Unfortunately, we were eliminated on the fair play rule because we accumulated more yellow cards,” said Mageleza.