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IN a world where social media has a considerable influence, it’s easy for a lot of FAKE news to spread like a veld fire.
And, ahead of the FIFA Congress in Kigali tomorrow, there has been a flood of FAKE news about Zimbabwean football.
In the past few days there have been reports that Zimbabwe was set to be EXPELLED from the FIFA family after a year on the sidelines, serving a suspension, imposed after the ZIFA board, led by Felton Kamambo, was suspended by the Sports Commission.
The speculation follows publication of the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting even though it has exactly the same wording as the agenda for a similar Congress held in Doha last year.
FIFA have never EXPELLED a member.
Yesterday, a FAKE message was trending in this country in which the authors claimed that if FIFA “ban Zimbabwe for good, these will be the consequences:
l No football to be played even at grassroots.
l All Zimbabwean players, local or foreign, will now (be) allowed to play football, if he or she plays outside Zimbabwe, his/her club will be forced to terminate his/her contract.
l Premier League will be BANNED.
l ZIFA will be DISSOLVED.”
Of course, that’s not true because, during the darkest days of apartheid, South Africa were suspended, and not expelled, by FIFA in September 1961.
It would take another 31 years before South Africa were readmitted back into FIFA in 1992 and, despite being in the cold for more than three decades, the country was never EXPELLED by the Zurich-based organisation.
During that time, domestic football was played in South Africa and their stars, like Kaizer Motaung and Jomo Sono, were cleared to play in the United States.
Gerry Francis became the first black player to play for Leeds United in the ‘60s while Albert Johanneson even played in the 1965 FA Cup final between Leeds and Liverpool at Wembley.
This country was also suspended from FIFA in 1970, because of the racist policies of the white minority government, but this did not stop domestic football with the likes of George Shaya building their legacy during that decade.
Freddie Mkwesha, who was playing in Portugal, did not have his contract revoked because of the status of his home country.
Zimbabwe only returned into the FIFA fold in 1980.
Online Reporter