daniel chigunwe
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
THE Eastern Region Division One outfit Grayham FC insists that all the players they used for their season final encounter against Bikita Minerals were eligible for the tie and the recent complaints raised by the lithium miners are a desperate effort to gain Premiership promotion through the back door.
Tenax FC seemed to have sealed promotion into the Castle Lager Premier League after walloping hapless JM Busha 6-1 at Mutare Showgrounds Sport Arena on a day that fellow title chasing Bikita Minerals and FC Wangu Mazodze settled for similar one all draws against Grayham and Renco mine, respectively.
However, the decision on which team will now eventually be promoted into the country’s flagship football league is shifting from the field of play to the boardroom with the ZIFA Eastern Region leadership set to deliberate on the matter and make their final decision on Saturday.
In a letter written to the ZIFA Eastern Region Soccer League (ERSL) board, Bikita Minerals FC allege that Grayham FC used Munyaradzi Machipisa’s ZIFA ID on Calvin Tinashe Chiwere, a Melfort FC player.
Bikita Minerals FC are praying for Grayham FC to be punished and the game be awarded to them for using an ineligible player.
The team at the centre of controversy Grayham FC insists that the player in question, as well as all others they fielded on the day, are registered players for the club.
In an interview yesterday, Grayham FC chairman Gray Hama said the lithium miners are now desperate to get Premiership promotion by any means necessary.
He said is surprised that Bikita Minerals captured a lot of detail in the letter of complaint but never bothered to cover acts of violence they perpetrated including assaulting the match official of the day.
“The issue being raised by Bikita Minerals FC over the alleged ineligible player is neither here nor there. It is baseless. The player in question, as well as all others they fielded on the day, are eligible and registered players for the club.
“We have all the evidence to prove that at any given point. I am only surprised that Bikita Minerals captured a lot of detail in the letter of complaint to the Region but never bothered to cover acts of violence they perpetrated including assaulting the match official of the day,” said Hama.
In a separate interview, ERSL chairman Davison Muchena said: “We have received a complaint from Bikita Minerals FC regarding allegations of the use of an unregistered player.
“The Executive Committee will go through the letters and evidence given this Saturday in Mutare and see how best we can address the issue. The Eastern Region had the best season this term since inception in 2001.
“The competition was unbelievably top grade. However, it is our hope that it will end fairly and all our stake holders accepts the final decision.
“As the Executive Committee, our job is to make sure that all is done above board and according to the law and or rules and regulations governing play in our league. We will not transgress outside the confines of our own rules. At the end of the day, football must be the winner.”
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