adminSikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
SUSPENDED and payless Dynamos midfielder Devon Chafa has received a lifeline from concerned Harare giants’ supporters who have started a “Donate a Dollar for Devon” campaign. The gritty midfielder tipped for top honours at the end of the year by many in the media fraternity, was slapped with an effective six months suspension by the world soccer governing body Fifa after he tested positive for a prohibited substance.
In its posting early this week, the semi-official and pro Dynamos Facebook page, DeMbare.coms launched what it code named DDD (Donate a Dollar for Devon) campaign where it called upon the club’s millions of supporters to deposit at least a dollar to the midfielder’s Ecocash account.
“SHARE this status on your Wall, so that others may see, and join in the initiative, send a Dollar or any amount to Devon Chafa’s Ecocash Number +263773211227.
“You may send a solidarity message on this number but don’t feel ignored when he doesn’t respond, imagine yourself replying to 20 000 text messages. We are with you Devon, you will never walk alone,” reads the post.
The campaign follows an order from Fifa that the player must not receive any sport related financial support and if the Harare giants continue paying his salary, they also risk being punished by Fifa.
Within a few hours after the post, the same site reported that $87 had been deposited into Chafa’s account.
Read part of the Fifa disciplinary committee’ ruling; “In compliance with the preliminary title 1 Definitions and interpretations” of the anti-doping Regulations as regards to the notion of “ineligibility”, the player Chafa is suspended for a specified period of time from participating in any competition (which covers all types of matches, including domestic, international, friendly and official) or other activity or from receiving sport related financial support as provided in the Fifa anti-doping regulations,”.
Chafa tested positive for a prohibited substance following a routine Fifa anti-doping exercise during the 2014 World Cup football qualifier between Zimbabwe and Egypt played in Harare on the 9th of June 2013.
Chafa still claims the substance is linked to the medication he was taking.
The Fifa Disciplinary Committee met on the 10th of October and decided to sanction the Zimbabwean who had been provisionally suspended in August for an anti-doping rule violation after testing positive for prednisone – a substance included on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) 2013 Prohibited List.
A talented holding midfielder, Chafa was part of the Dynamos squad which won back-to-back league and Cup double in 2011 and 2012.
Online Reporter