Zifa’s problems continue to mount

THE embattled Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA)’s problems have continued to mount after it was fined 10 000 Swiss francs (US$10 000) by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) after the Mighty Warriors’ failure to fulfill a fixture with Zambia.

Felton Kamambo, ZIFA president

This comes as Felton Kamambo’s ever-bungling administration has been entangled in needless debacles such as attempts to “recall Philip Chiyangwa” from the Confederation of Southern African Football Associations, the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations pay dispute and other administrative disgraces.

Chiyangwa is the immediate past president of ZIFA.

The Fifa’s disciplinary committee fined Zifa US$10 000 for the Mighty Warriors’ failure to fulfil the return leg of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games qualifier against Zambia at the National Sports Stadium last month.

Women’s Soccer League teams withdrew their players from the squad on the eve of the game after Zifa failed to honour their payment to the players for their participation at the 2019 Cosafa Women’s Championship.

Having already lost the first leg 5-0 in Lusaka, the Fifa disciplinary committee awarded the second leg to Shepolopolo on a 3-0 score line.

It was an embarrassing episode for local football because in the history of Zimbabwean football, this was the first time a national team had failed to fulfil a home fixture due to bungling by Zifa.

Contacted for comment, Zifa spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela said the local football mother body was going to abide by the Fifa directive.

“As Zifa our official comment is that we do not respond to statements by Fifa, we are just going to abide,” Gwesela told Fingaz Sport on Wednesday.

According to a statement from Fifa released late last week, Zifa must pay the fine within 30 days of notification.

“The Fifa Disciplinary Committee found the Zimbabwe Football Association responsible for the infringement of the relevant provisions of the Regulations for the Olympic Football Tournaments Games of the XXXII Olympiad Tokyo 2020 related to withdrawal (art. 7 par. 1) and of the Fifa Disciplinary Code related to unplayed matches and abandonment (art. 14),” Fifa said.

“The Fifa Disciplinary Committee declares the match of the Women’s Olympic Qualifiers that was scheduled to be played between Zimbabwe and Zambia on 1 September 2019 to be lost by forfeit by Zimbabwe (0-3).

“The Fifa Disciplinary Committee orders the Zimbabwe Football Association to pay a fine to the amount of CHF 10,000. In application of art. 6 par. 1(a) of the Fifa Disciplinary Code, the Zimbabwe Football Association is warned on its future conduct. The above fine is to be paid within thirty (30) days of notification of the present decision.”

Zifa has been accused of not taking women’s soccer serious and not caring about the athletes’ welfare when compared to men’s teams.

Sports minister Kirsty Coventry has also expressed her frustration at the manner the women’s game and their participants were treated at national level by Zifa.

Following their participation at the 2019 Cosafa Women’s Championship in South Africa, the Mighty warriors had to endure a 1 300km road journey from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg to catch their return flight.

Upon arriving in Harare, the players only got $15 from Zifa and this paltry payment led to the clubs pulling out their players from the second leg against Zambia.

Men’s soccer teams have received and continue to receive a lot of moral and financial support but the Mighty Warriors struggle for any tournament a sad scenario that Kamambo and his boys continue to turn a blind eye on.

The Kamambo-led Zifa administration is no strangers to controversy, in August this year the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) made damning corruption allegations against the Zifa board.

Zifa was accused of gross incompetence, mismanagement and laundering of Fifa funds meant for the development of the local game.

The allegations were contained in a scathing letter written by the SRC board chairman Gerald Mlotshwa to the Fifa secretary-general Fatma Samoura, seeking permission to remove the entire Zifa leadership from office and replace it with a normalisation committee.

Mlotshwa said the local sport regulatory body was concerned at the manner in which the game of football was being administered in the country.