ZIFA WAR WITH SRC, A ZERO SUM GAME

Football Association has abandoned smaller battles to focus on what could be the END GAME

By Ephraim Shoko

The Zimbabwe Football association seems to have abandoned all small battles to focus on the “bigger picture”.
One of those battles they had started was against PSL chief executive Kenny Ndebele, a respected football administrator by both FIFA and Government.
Instead, they are focusing on the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), in what could be the “end game” for the ever bungling association.
Reality on the ground is FIFA could go on to suspended Zimbabwe if the suspension of ZIFA CEO Joseph Mamutse is deemed to be Government interference.
Such a suspension would mean no grant for the Association, and no International football, including club competitions. Although the move will cause a lot of damage to the country, it will be a big blow to individuals that have been directly benefiting from FIFA grants at the expense of Zimbabwean football development.
A football official that requested anonymity confirmed to Nhau Sport that it is not business as usual at the association.
“Remember they had started the battle with PSL chief Kenny Ndebele. That one is no longer a priority as things stand.
“The board members actively involved know what a FIFA ban means. It is a bigger blow to them. And that there seems to be resolve from SRC to ensure things are fixed, has not made the situation any better,” said the official.
Insiders at ZIFA indicated that Ndebele did not bother replying to the seven-day ultimatum he was given on accusations that he was working against them, literally giving them the middle finger.
Last year, the Zimbabwean Government, through the Sports Ministry, interfered in cricket.
The result was suspension by ICC and it was Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) that lost out on the ICC grants while players lost out on important opportunities in international matches.
After the restoration of the board that had been kicked out, ICC lifted the suspension but ZC are yet to fully recover from the effects of the suspension.
However, they have since improved dramatically in the way cricket is run in the country.
“It could be a similar case. But unlike cricket, by the time such a suspension is lifted, elections at ZIFA will be due. And they would have lost out on the grants which have diverted their focus on the core football issues,” said the source.
In the event that FIFA suspends ZIFA and Government follows the same route as the one they followed in cricket, lifting of the ZIFA CEO suspension much later will not benefit the ZIFA board.
ZIFA president Felton Kamambo has a bribery case before the courts and if it does not go his way, he will not be legible for the next elections.
And while Mamutse has been suspended over issues to do with breaking the country’s laws during the Covid-19 lockdown, this could end up blowing in the face of the self-appointed ZIFA vice president Philemon Machana who has been hands on.
To add to ZIFA woes, they have failed the integrity test both in the eyes of COSAFA and CAF eyes after the Under 17 team disqualification over age cheating.
While neighbours Botswana had their chief executive resigning after a similar case, ZIFA instead challenged the regional body.
This was an age cheating issue, but in the eyes of ZIFA, it was another battle with former association president and now COSAFA president, Phillip Chiyangwa. Nhau/Indaba