Can three people hold the nation to ransom?

Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor

A WEEK has come and gone since the Sports Commission wielded the axe and dissolved the ZIFA board, in a move, which has dominated the domestic football narrative.

So much has happened, since then.

The first victims were the PSL, whose programmes were initially paralysed, because of the absence of referees, before it swung back into action at the weekend, with the Chibuku Super Cup semi-finals.

Then, ZIFA board member, Sugar Chagonda, broke ranks with his colleagues, by accepting the SRC decision, and urging the other board members to do the same.

Chagonda said he did not want to seen like he was fighting the Government, in any way, whatsoever.

Amid all this drama, speculation exploded into overdrive with some fearing the SRC decision could provoke FIFA into imposing a raft of sanctions, including suspending the country, from its global football family.

Predictably, there are divisions, within the country, with one group backing the SRC move while the other group, concerned about the possible sanctions from FIFA, is singing a different tune.

The SRC remain defiant that sanctions, if ever it gets to that, could be the sacrifice worth enduring for the nation to try and get its national game back on its feet.

“If FIFA decides to ban Zimbabwean football, we are prepared for that. If it does happen we look at it being a short-term measure,’’ SRC chairman, Gerald Mlotshwa, told a media conference.

“Zimbabwean football needs this opportunity just to fix itself, if we are out of international football, for a year or two years, that’s fine. “If we are suspended from AFCON next year, we are prepared for that, that is fine, we need to deal with football.’’

The worst case scenario will see Zimbabwe being thrown out of international football, until the resolution of the impasse, between the SRC and the ousted ZIFA board.

The immediate consequence, of such a move, would be the expulsion of the Warriors from the 2021 AFCON finals.

ZIFA will not get, at least, US$550 000, which is guaranteed to all the countries, who will take part at the Nations Cup finals in Cameroon, next year.

And, it means they will not be able to pay Zdravko Logarusic, who has been promised a chunk of that money, as part of the divorce settlement, between the two parties.

Loga was promised US$55 000, from the funds which ZIFA will be paid from their AFCON adventure.

In the event ZIFA do not generate the funds, should the Warriors not play at the AFCON finals, the association could be exposed to litigation from Loga, and his handlers.

The last time ZIFA failed to pay one of their expatriate coaches, Brazilian gaffer Valinhos, the Warriors were barred from the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

The FIFA grants will also be suspended and all international transfers, involving Zimbabwean footballers, will be brought to a halt.

It won’t be the first time this country would have been suspended from the FIFA family.

In 1971, just two years after playing a ’70 World Cup qualifier against Australia, this country was thrown out of FIFA.

However, that was for a very good cause as FIFA plunged into the battle, to help in the fight against the racist policies, of the Rhodesian regime.

Those who are backing the SRC decision are arguing FIFA sanctions will also be for a good cause, given there is need to sort out the mess plaguing local football, at all cost.

It wasn’t lost, among this group, that the week, which started with the SRC dissolving the ZIFA board, ended with Zimbabwe slipping to a lowly 121, on the FIFA rankings.

The Warriors now find themselves in the company of the Faroe Islands, who have a population of just about 53 000.

And Antigua and Barbuda, with a population of about 97 000, and an area of roughly 440 square kilometres.

Those in favour of the SRC decision are arguing the country’s lowly position, on the FIFA rankings, is a signal football has virtually collapsed in Zimbabwe and this intervention was necessary.

Playing at the next AFCON finals, they have been arguing, is tantamount to taking a pain killer to try and deal with a cancerous condition.

But, there is another argument, which hasn’t been part of the debate.

After the clarification that the dissolution of the ZIFA board did not affect the roles which Farai Jere and Barbra Chikosi occupy, as the heads of the PSL and women’s football, and Chagonda’s decision to abide by the suspension, how many people are being affected by the SRC sanctions?

Just three individuals — Felton Kamambo, who was president of the ousted executive, and board members Philemon Machana and Bryton Malandule — are directly being affected.

Some will say four, if they include Stanley Chapeta, the ZIFA Central Region chairman, who was co-opted into the board but has virtually stayed away from the drama.

A number of questions, inevitably, emerge:

Can the interests, or defiance, of just three people override the interests of the 23 players, and their coaching staff, who could be affected, if this impasse is not resolved, and the Warriors are barred from the 2021 AFCON finals?

Can the interests, or defiance, of just three people, override the interests of more than 15 million Zimbabweans, to such an extent a ticket to the AFCON finals can be sacrificed, just to nurse their ego?

Can the interests, or defiance, of just three people override the interests of more than 15 million people, in this country, who consider football as a big part of their lives?

Can the interests, or defiance, of just three people be considered to be more important than the 58 Councillors, who make up the ZIFA Assembly, who voted these individuals into power?

Can the interests, or defiance, of just three people be considered to be more important than the 80 top referees, who are part of the leading match officials, in this country?

Can the interests, or defiance, of just three people be considered to be more important than the 24 500 athletes who, according to the ZIFA bailout figures, make up the domestic football industry?

These were the questions posed to the Egyptian Football Federation leadership, after the Pharaohs were boosted out of the quarter-finals, of the 2019 AFCON finals.

The following morning, all of them had handed in their resignations because, in Egypt, the country is more important than individuals.