Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIFA have effectively thrown the Central Region Soccer League under the bus after advising yesterday that Sheasham will remain part of the football family.
The CRSL had already confirmed the Construction Boys were no longer participating in their league even before sitting down to evaluate the reasons behind their “withdrawal” with no attempt to proffer solutions.
Sheasham, unhappy with how the CRSL, was being run and how the teams are being abused by match officials and the general system manipulated “to suit some sinister agendas towards certain clubs”, had sensationally withdrawn from the league.
They are second on the log, trailing leaders Hardrock by a point but the club confirmed earlier yesterday that they saw no reason to stay around a “corrupt system” which was being influenced by certain teams to help them go up.
They revealed that they were also withdrawing their ladies’ team from the Zimbabwe Women’s Premier Soccer League.
CRSL quickly accepted that and wrote to ZIFA, indicating they accepted Sheasham’s move, before ZIFA’s twist yesterday.
“Following a review of the matter, the Association advises that Sheasham Football Club remains a member of the Central Region Soccer League until the issue has been amicably resolved through the proper processes,” said Zifa in a statement.
“ZIFA further reminds all regional affiliates that any grievances or disputes arising within their jurisdictions should be addressed through the established legal and procedural frameworks of their respective leagues.
“Only after all regional mechanisms have been fully exhausted should matters be escalated to the Association for further consideration.”
Allowing the CRSL decision to carry the day would drag local football into the mud given accusations raised by the aggrieved club.
In a statement, Sheasham said, “We hereby notify the Zimbabwe Central Region Soccer League and the Zimbabwe Women’s Soccer League of our immediate withdrawal from the leagues for the remainder of the season. This decision comes after exhausting all avenues to address the numerous concerns we have raised regarding the unfavourable footballing environment we are experiencing in the leagues.
“Despite our repeated efforts to bring these issues to the attention of the authorities, our concerns have fallen on deaf ears.
“The lack of meaningful response has led us to conclude that this season’s competition is rigged in favour of certain teams. We have lost trust in the system and can no longer participate in leagues that do not provide a fair and level playing field for all teams.
“We have raised genuine concerns about the impartiality of match officials, which has significantly impacted our team’s performance. Our repeated efforts to engage with the authorities have been met with silence, leading us to believe that our concerns are not being taken seriously. We believe that the current environment is not conducive to fair competition, and it is evident that certain teams are being favoured. We want to emphasise that our decision to withdraw from the leagues is not driven by any personal agenda against any club.
“Our sole objective is to ensure that the leagues are conducted in a fair and transparent manner, allowing the best teams to win. Unfortunately, the current environment does not provide the necessary conditions for fair competition.”
Awkwardly the CRSL, without seeking any recourse from the negative development, had rushed to say good-bye to the former Premier Soccer League team.
This also comes at a time when the CRSL is yet to deal with a case in which Hardrock was accused of having used an improperly registered or, alternatively, an unregistered player in their win against ZRP Gwanda about a month ago.
